Happy National Ravoli Day. March 20, 2011

Today is national ravoli day and what better way to celebrate this day then with the first day of spring. I always loved ravoli as a kid and feed it to my son all the time. You can fill ravoli with anything from lobster, to cheese,  to vegetables, meat ..almost anything. It can have any sauce from pesto, tomato, olive oil. brown butter sauce..you name it, it can go with it.

Here's a bit about ravoli:
 In Italy, the term “ravioli” is derived from a word meaning “to stuff,” and ravioli have appeared in Italian literature since at least medieval times. Within Italy, depending on where you travel, you can have meat ravioli, ricotta ravioli, seafood ravioli, and versions stuffed with a variety of vegetables including spinach, squash, and seasonal mushrooms. Regional Italian cuisine highlights unique flavors and specialties of the area, and is an interesting to explore Italian culinary history. Typically, the ravioli are boiled and served with a rich sauce, although some parts of Italy bake their ravioli in cream sauces after boiling them. there is actually a long tradition of vegetarian ravioli in Italy. On Fridays and during Lent, vegetarian ravioli is a popular option, because for Catholics, red meat is forbidden during fast periods. Less wealthy Italian families ate vegetarian ravioli more often, and there is a long culinary history of cheese and vegetable filled ravioli with interesting spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. Seafood ravioli is also common in port towns of Italy, and is often served with delicate lemon sauces that highlight the flavor of the fish.

Here's a Recipe:

Fried Ravioli with Marinara Cream Sauce

Cook time: 18 mins

Yield: 12 to 15 appetizer servings

Ingredients

• 9-ounce package frozen 4-cheese ravioli
• 2 cups ground pecans
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Oil
• Marinara Cream Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Cook ravioli for 2 minutes. Place cooked ravioli on paper towels to drain; set aside.
Combine pecans and cheese in a shallow dish. Whisk together milk, eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl. Dip ravioli in egg mixture then dredge in pecan mixture. Pour oil to a depth of 1/2-inch in a skillet or Dutch oven; heat to 360 degrees F. Fry ravioli, in batches, 2 minutes on each side, or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve with Marinara Cream Sauce.

Marinara Cream Sauce:
1 1/2 cups prepared marinara sauce
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
In a large saucepan, combine sauce and cream. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Yield: 2 cups
Cook Time: 2 to 3 minutes