The 5-Ingredient Giada De Laurentiis Recipe I Make Every Friday Night

The best part of any baked pasta dish is the crispy edges. It wasn’t until I watched Giada De Laurentiis make fried ravioli that I discovered pasta could be all crispy edges! I’ve been hooked on this chewy, cheesy snack ever since.

Unlike the pasta fritta popular in southern Italy, which was invented as a resourceful way to use leftovers, it’s believed that fried ravioli are the result of a chef’s mistake. In the 1940s, a chef in St. Louis’ Italian American neighborhood dropped ravioli into the deep fryer, or so the story goes.

Giada's recipe uses a frying pan and olive oil rather than a deep fryer, but the end result is the same. I heard the crunch as she took a bite, took a peek at the gooey cheese center, and went straight to the grocery store for ingredients.

How I Make Giada's Fried Ravioli

I had to pick up a package of fresh, ready-made ravioli, along with a pint of buttermilk. The remaining ingredients—olive oil, Italian-style breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and marinara—are staples in my house, so I already had them on hand.

If you don’t have a deep-frying thermometer, neither do I. I use Giada’s words of kitchen wisdom to know when the oil is at the correct temp: “Just throw a little bit of [the] breadcrumbs into the oil. If it sinks to the bottom, the oil is too cold. If it comes up to the top and burns up, well then, it’s too hot, but if it slowly rises and starts to turn a golden color, the oil is at the right temperature.”

Before I heat the oil (I prefer avocado oil), I make sure at least one batch of my ravioli is ready to go; otherwise, I risk scorching the oil.

To prep the ravioli, I dunk them in buttermilk, then evenly coat with breadcrumbs. (A mixture of egg and milk or cream also works, since it creates the thick coating needed to make the breadcrumbs stick, but plain milk won't get the job done.)

I give each rav a gentle shake on its way to the pan to prevent too many loose breadcrumbs from falling to the bottom, where they will inevitably burn. I use a slotted spoon to gently drop them in the oil, where the raviolis puff up and turn golden in no time, about a minute per side.

The last step is placing the fried ravioli on a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil. I serve them with a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan and a side of marinara for dipping.

I made one tweak to Giada's original recipe: I let the ravioli and buttermilk sit out for about 30 minutes before I start cooking. This helps keep the hot oil at the perfect temperature when frying.

This snack is so incredibly delicious, it’s no wonder my family makes them disappear!