Toasted ravioli

Toasted ravioli
Alternative names	T-ravs
Type	Fried dish, pasta
Place of origin	United States
Region or state	St. Louis, Missouri
Created by	disputed
Main ingredients	Flour, eggs, water, cheese, ground meat (sometimes), tomato sauce
	Media: Toasted ravioli;

Toasted ravioli, colloquially known as T-Ravs,^[1]^[2] is breaded deep-fried ravioli, usually served as an appetizer and also used to consume dipping sauce.^[3] It was created and popularized in St. Louis, Missouri.

Origin

Most accounts of toasted ravioli trace its origins to a predominantly Italian-American neighborhood of St. Louis, The Hill. Supposedly, in the early 1940s, a raviolo was accidentally dropped into the fryer by a chef. Shortly thereafter, the item began appearing on menus across The Hill.

While many restaurants on The Hill claim its creation,^[4] Charlie Gitto's "On The Hill" restaurant (then known as "Angelo's") is where it was made famous. That story claims that a chef at Angelo's, Mario Battocletti, accidentally dropped the pasta into oil after a misunderstanding. Chef and restauranteur, Charlie Gitto, Jr., inherited the original recipe and still serves it at his restaurants to this day.

Another claim is from Mama Campisi's as well as Louis Oldani.^[5] Oldani is said to have named the dish 'toasted' ravioli because he thought 'toasted' was more appealing than 'fried'.^[6]

Lombardo's Restaurants, located around the St. Louis area, also claim to have been among the first to bring toasted ravioli to the States from Sicily; their current owner, Tony Lombardo, shows menus from the 1930s that include it.^[7] Lombardo's toasted ravioli frequently top lists as the "best t-ravs in St. Louis".^[8]

Composition, varieties, and service

Generally, some type of meat is wrapped in square ravioli, breaded and deep fried until the pasta shell becomes slightly crispy, dry and browned. Toasted ravioli is generally served with marinara sauce for dipping^[9] and Parmesan cheese may also be sprinkled on top. Toasted ravioli can be stored pre-made and frozen, which allows it to be easily prepared by fry cooks or bar staff without special skill or training.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ "Who invented toasted ravioli?". www.stlmag.com. 2015-11-20. Archived from the original on 2024-05-07. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
^ Carlson, Kasey. "St. Louis' first t-rav concept, STL Toasted, is now serving sweet and savory ravioli from City Foundry". Feast Magazine. Archived from the original on 2022-12-14. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
^ Post, Aaron Hutcherson Washington (2021-10-27). "Toasted ravioli is a cheesy, crispy party-time dipper". San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on 2022-10-23. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-06-29. Retrieved 2013-05-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Examining the mysterious past of St. Louis' toasted ravioli". 10Best. Feb 25, 2018. Archived from the original on June 3, 2019. Retrieved Aug 16, 2019.
^ Delano, Patti (2006). Missouri. Globe Pequot. p. 12. ISBN 0-7627-4203-8.
^ "Who Invented Toasted Ravioli?". www.stlmag.com. 2015-11-20. Archived from the original on 2024-05-07. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
^ "These places have the best toasted ravioli". ksdk.com. 26 March 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
^ Wiederhold, Arthur (2002). Art & Rosies Home-Tested Recipes. Chronicle Books. p. 67. ISBN 0-595-22016-9.