Our Toasted Ravioli Is a Vegan Take on a St. Louis Classic

Toasted ravioli is a St. Louis thing before it is anything else. Ask someone from out of town what it is and you usually get a blank look. Ask someone who grew up here and they have an opinion about whose version is best.

what toasted ravioli actually is

Despite the name, nothing gets toasted in a toaster. The ravioli gets breaded and fried, then served hot with marinara on the side for dipping. That is the whole idea: a crunchy shell around a hot, soft filling, instead of the usual boiled pasta pillow. St. Louis has argued for decades over which restaurant invented it. We are not going to settle that here. We just wanted our own vegan version on the menu, and we were not going to skip the marinara on the side. Dipping is not optional.

how we build ours

We do not roll pasta dough by hand for this one. We buy vegan ravioli wrappers, then stuff and seal each one ourselves with vegan beef and a vegan ricotta-spinach blend. Nothing about that part is a shortcut. We season the filling with the same herbs and spices we use elsewhere in the kitchen, then fold and crimp each piece by hand. An order gets you four pieces, cut three-to-a-square before frying. Each one goes into hot vegetable oil until the breading turns deep golden, then comes out with a side of fresh marinara for dipping.

the part that actually took work

Most ravioli recipes use an egg wash to help the edges seal shut. We do not have that option with a vegan wrapper, so we had to find another way to crimp the edges tight enough to survive a hot oil bath without splitting open. A ravioli that bursts in the fryer loses its filling and ruins the batch. We tried a few sealing methods by hand before we found one that holds through the fryer. The breading matters just as much. Too thin and it burns before the inside heats through. Too thick and you get more crunch than filling, which misses the point of the dish. It took a few batches of overcooked test trays before we landed on a breading that crisps fast without scorching.

where to find it

Toasted ravioli sits in the small plates section of our menu, alongside the mozzarella sticks and the eggplant parmesan. It works well as a starter for two people to split, or as the first thing you order while you decide on a pasta. Regulars often order it on its own as a light meal with a side salad. You can also find this on our mother ship www.BombayFoodJunkies.com‘s online menu.

We did not invent toasted ravioli, and we are not claiming to have perfected it. We just wanted to prove something. A plant-based kitchen can put out a version that holds up next to the original, breading and all.