Toasted ravioli is St. Louis’ take on the perfect starter: filled ravioli in a golden coating of egg and seasoned breadcrumbs, served with warm marinara sauce for dipping. The dish comes from the Italian neighborhood The Hill, and in the US it’s known as toasted ravioli.
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In the air fryer, you skip both the deep fryer and the pre-cooking. You bread fresh ravioli from the chiller, spray them lightly with oil, and let the hot air do the rest. A sprinkle of parmesan at the end, and you’ve got finger food that disappears faster than you can bake the next batch.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents:
Why I love toasted ravioli in the air fryer
I love dishes that look impressive but require very little effort, and toasted ravioli is exactly that kind of dish. Prep takes about fifteen minutes, and the air fryer handles the rest while you warm the sauce and grate the parmesan. The contrast is the whole point: a crispy crust with oregano and garlic on the outside, and a soft, warm filling inside that gets even better once it meets the warm tomato sauce.
At the same time, the dish suits many occasions. It works as a starter for an Italian dinner, as a snack for movie night, or as part of a tapas spread where everyone can dip in and help themselves.
Why the air fryer beats the deep fryer
The original from St. Louis is deep-fried, which gives a crispy result but also a pot full of hot oil that has to be dealt with afterwards. In the air fryer, you get by with a light spray of olive oil on each side. The hot air circulates around each individual ravioli, so the coating turns golden all the way around. And because you use fresh ravioli from the chiller, the pasta has time to become tender in the air fryer while the coating browns.
My kitchen test of toasted ravioli
I tested the recipe in my Cosori Dual Blaze, and 200 °C gives exactly the golden, crispy coating I’m after. Each batch gets 8 minutes, and after 4 minutes I turn the ravioli and lightly spray the new top side with oil. Two batches add up to 16 minutes in the air fryer, and with fifteen minutes of prep, the dish is on the table after 31 minutes in total.
Along the way, I learned that the edges make the difference. If you don’t press the breadcrumbs firmly along them, the flat pasta edge turns pale and chewy, even if the rest is crispy. I warm the marinara sauce in a small saucepan while the last batch is in the air fryer, so everything is ready at the same time.
Mix 2 tbsp finely grated parmesan into the breadcrumbs for a more flavourful crust, and sprinkle parmesan on top while the ravioli are still hot. That way, the cheese melts slightly into the coating.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The most common mistake is using dried ravioli from the shelf without boiling them first. They turn hard in the air fryer, so choose fresh ravioli from the chiller, or boil the dried ones before you bread them. The next mistake is overfilling the basket. If the ravioli lie on top of each other, the air can’t reach them properly, and the coating turns pale instead of crispy. Place them in a single layer, and rather do an extra batch: if your air fryer is small, bake them in three batches, and if you have a large basket, one batch may be enough. The third mistake is skipping the oil. Breadcrumbs without any fat turn dry and dull, so spray the ravioli lightly with oil before baking, and again on the new top side when you turn them after 4 minutes.
How to serve toasted ravioli
In St. Louis, toasted ravioli is classically served as a starter with warm marinara on the side, but they also work well with much more:
- Warm marinara sauce for dipping, ideally with a pinch of chilli flakes for extra punch
- Extra finely grated parmesan and fresh, chopped parsley over the ravioli
- A light rocket salad with lemon as a fresh contrast to the crispy coating
- A tapas spread with olives, air-dried ham and good bread
Storage and reheating
Toasted ravioli are best the same day, while the coating is crispy. Leftovers keep for 1-2 days in the fridge, covered, and can be reheated in the air fryer at 180 °C for 3-5 minutes, until crispy again. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months and reheat them straight from frozen at 180 °C for 6-8 minutes. Skip the microwave, as it makes the coating soft.
Toasted ravioli prove that a good starter doesn’t have to be complicated. With fresh ravioli, some seasoned breadcrumbs and an air fryer, you get the St. Louis classic right in your own kitchen — crispy, golden, and completely without a deep fryer.
FAQ
No, not if you use fresh ravioli from the chiller. They become tender during the toasting, while the coating turns golden and crispy at the same time. Dried ravioli from the shelf, on the other hand, need to be boiled first, or they’ll turn hard in the air fryer.
Toasted ravioli is an Italian-American classic from St. Louis, where filled ravioli are breaded and deep-fried until crispy. They’re traditionally served with parmesan and marinara sauce for dipping. In the air fryer, they’re toasted in hot air instead, with just a light spray of oil.
Yes. Choose ravioli with ricotta and spinach or another cheese filling, and you’ll get a meat-free version with the same crispy coating. The temperature and time stay the same.
Recipe
Toasted ravioli in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Cost of the dish
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Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
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Shopping list
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh ravioli (From the chiller, ideally with a meat or cheese filling)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (In a spray bottle or as oil spray)
Breading
- 2 pcs eggs
- 2 tbsp milk
- 100 g breadcrumbs (Panko works well for extra crunch)
- 1 tsp oregano (Dried)
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
Serving
- 30 g parmesan (Finely grated)
- 1 tbsp parsley (Fresh, finely chopped)
- 3 dl marinara sauce (Store-bought or homemade)
How to make it
Preparation
- Whisk 2 pcs eggs and 2 tbsp milk together in a bowl.
- Mix 100 g breadcrumbs with 1 tsp oregano and 0.5 tsp garlic powder in another bowl.
- Dip 500 g fresh ravioli one at a time in the egg mixture, letting any excess drip off. Then coat them thoroughly in the breadcrumbs, so they’re covered on both sides and along the edges, and place them on a plate while you coat the rest.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C fan.
- Place half of the breaded ravioli in the basket in a single layer, so they don’t overlap, and spray them lightly with olive oil.
- Cook the ravioli at 200 °C for 8 minutes. Turn them after 4 minutes, and lightly spray the new top side with oil, so they turn golden and crispy on both sides.
- Repeat with the rest of the ravioli: place them in a single layer, spray them lightly with oil, and cook them at 200 °C for 8 minutes, turning them after 4 minutes.
Serving
- Warm 3 dl marinara sauce in a small saucepan over low heat for about 5 minutes, while the last batch of ravioli cooks.
- Sprinkle the ravioli with 30 g parmesan and 1 tbsp parsley while they’re still hot, so the cheese melts slightly into the coating.
- Serve the ravioli straight away, while they’re crispy, with the warm marinara sauce for dipping.
Our notes for the recipe
Press the breadcrumbs on firmly, also along the edges, so the coating is completely sealed and crispy. Spray the basket lightly with oil before adding the ravioli so they don’t stick, and always place them in a single layer so the hot air can circulate freely around them. No pre-cooking:
Use fresh ravioli from the chiller cabinet. They can be toasted straight away, because the pasta has time to become tender in the air fryer while the coating turns golden. Dried ravioli from the shelf, on the other hand, need to be boiled first, or they’ll turn hard. Variation:
Mix 2 tbsp finely grated parmesan into the breadcrumbs for a more flavourful crust, or use ravioli with ricotta and spinach for a meat-free version. For more punch in the dip, stir a pinch of chilli flakes into the marinara sauce. Serving:
In St. Louis, toasted ravioli is classically served as a starter with warm marinara on the side. They also work well as a snack or as part of a tapas spread, ideally with a fresh rocket salad with lemon. Portion size:
This dish is designed for two batches in a standard air fryer. If your air fryer is smaller, bake the ravioli in three batches; if you have a large basket, one batch may be enough, as long as they’re in a single layer.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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