In this recipe, the earthy and peppery flavours of fresh sage meet their complementary match with the distinctive sharpness of aged 24 month-old Parmigiano Reggiano. (Why Parmigiano Reggiano? Because there’s nothing like it.) These impressive crispy ravioli (we use butternut squash or cheese ravioli) are deceptively easy to make and uses a freezer – yes, a freezer – to prepare frozen fresh ravioli for frying. Instead of dredging the ravioli in flour before dipping them in the egg, milk, Parmigiano Reggiano and breadcrumb mixture, the frozen ravioli is dipped (without thawing first) then returned to the freezer for another 30 minutes for the coating to harden. Deep-frying is a brief 3-5 minutes and the ‘freeze’ technique ensures perfectly cooked and crispy ravioli.
Crispy Parmigiano Reggiano and Sage Ravioli
Ingredients
- 250 g fresh ravioli preferably butternut squash or mixed cheese
- 100 g fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp chopped sage
- 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
- 100 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano plus extra to serve
- pepper
- 2 eggs
- 100 ml milk
- vegetable oil for frying
- handful sage leaves
Instructions
- Spread the ravioli on a baking sheet and freeze for 25-30 minutes until hard.
- Mix the breadcrumbs, sage, rosemary, 50 g Parmigiano Reggiano and a pinch of black pepper.
- Whisk the eggs and milk in a shallow dish.
- Remove the ravioli from the freezer and dip in the egg mixture before coating in the Parmigiano Reggiano breadcrumbs. Arrange on a baking sheet and return to the freezer for a further 25-30 minutes to harden.
- Heat oil in a heavy-based saucepan until hot and fry the ravioli in batches for 3-5 minutes until golden. Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper.
- Fry the sage leaves for 1-2 minutes until crispy and drain on kitchen paper.
- Serve the ravioli hot with more grated Parmigiano Reggiano and deep-fried sage leaves.
