Toasted Cheese Ravioli

Did you know you can make your own buttermilk? I had no idea until I was casually talking to my Mom on Friday. She was dying some eggs and mentioned that if you drop in a tablespoon or so of vinegar into milk, it will change into buttermilk after a bit. Perfect timing, Mom, I must say. This recipe called for it, and I was about to buy it!

Instead of using vinegar, I found out online that I could use lemon juice instead. I'm afraid of vinegar, man. I don't know why... maybe the smell? I have strange phobias, unexplainable ones at that. Anyway, just remember if you add in a tablespoon of vinegar/lemon juice to milk and let it sit for 5 minutes or so, you'll have yourself an excellent buttermilk substitute. Go team.

These little toasted raviolis were insanely easy to make. Plus, the recipe came from one of my favorite Food Network chefs: Giada De Laurentiis. Whenever I'm looking to make any kind of classic Italian recipe, you can usually find me looking up her stuff. I love her show. I think she does a wonderful job clearly explaining why she chose the ingredients she's using, what kind of flavor/texture those ingredients will add to the overall product, and almost always adds in an interesting story about the food while she's preparing the dish. 

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Toasted Ravioli
Adapted from Everyday Pasta, Giada De Laurentiis

Vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
1 pkg store-bought cheese ravioli (I used Buitoni - usually found in the produce section)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cup marinara, heated, for dipping

Pour enough oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 1 inch. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325 degrees F. While the oil is heating, put the buttermilk and the bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls.

Working in three batches, dip ravioli in buttermilk to coat completely. Allow the excess buttermilk to drip back into the bowl. Dredge ravioli in the bread crumbs. Place the ravioli on a baking sheet, and continue with the remaining ravioli.

When the oil is hot, fry the ravioli in batches, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle the ravioli with Parmesan and serve with warmed sauce for dipping.