12 Ways To Seriously Elevate Canned Ravioli
Canned foods are rather convenient since they're typically pre-cooked, especially canned pasta products, which function as a quick dinner or snack. Not to mention, they are inexpensive, too. Ravioli that comes out of a tin can might not be the most elegant meal in existence, but, hey, sometimes you can look past its flaws and just chow it down. Maybe you have cans of it stocked up that you need to use, but you consider it lackluster. Or perhaps you enjoy it as is but just feel like it's missing something. Either way, convenience doesn't have to come at a price. There are innovative methods to boost pre-made food and transform it into something you're proud of.
Although the product doesn't have the authenticity of homemade ravioli, it doesn't mean you can't improve it. It's possible to change its texture, add flavor to the sauce, or use mix-ins that perfectly complement the pasta. The ideas listed here help you to do just that. After all, a great deal of learning how to cook is tapping into your innovative side. Allow your senses and creativity to take the lead, and you'll be surprised just how incredible the canned ravioli turns out. The best part about these suggestions is that there are options for folks with little time and also for those able to put in some elbow grease. Essentially, there is an option for everyone. Say farewell to plain pasta, because you certainly won't miss it.
1. Adjust the sauce
For those who aren't fond of the pre-made sauce's taste, there are several ways to remedy its mundane essence. One way is to drain off the sauce entirely and use a homemade sauce for the pasta. To rid the canned sauce completely, use a strainer to remove all the excess juice and then rinse the ravioli with water. This will leave you with a clean slate ripe for creativity. From there, you can make a tomato sauce from scratch. Roasted tomatoes are the trick to elevate your spaghetti sauce, so make sure to use that method instead of making the sauce with raw tomatoes. This idea isn't necessarily ideal for people who want a speedy fix but more so for folks who have time to put in the effort and doctor it up.
Another option is to blend other sauces into the pre-made sauce to modify it. When you use the original sauce as a base, it prevents food waste, which is always a plus. The best options are marinara or Alfredo sauce but don't hesitate to venture out if you have other ideas. When you mix the Alfredo with the canned components, it transforms into something similar to a tomato cream sauce. Meanwhile, the marinara has a similar makeup to the ravioli sauce, so it simply bulks it up.
2. Mix it with meat
Look no further if you want to know the ingredient swap that will definitely upgrade plain canned ravioli. The canned pasta becomes a new dish when you incorporate seasoned ground beef and Velveeta into the mix. Use the Velveeta as a topping or mix it directly with the meat. The ground beef not only makes the meal heftier, which keeps you full for longer, but it makes it tastier too. Even though beef ravioli is quite famous among canned pasta products, there are other types, like Italian sausage or cheese ravioli. The meat-stuffed pasta is easy because you can just add more of the same meat to the dish.
On the other hand, cheese ravioli is flexible because it tastes terrific with numerous types of meat. For instance, use ham or bacon when you have cheese ravioli. Dice the meat into cubes before you work it into the meal. Another option is to use poultry like chicken or turkey. For example, you can cook the ground poultry, then pour the canned components into the same pan and stir it to combine. If you only have breast meat, dice it or shred it, which will help provide a different texture that is just as pleasant. Whichever meat you include, it is undoubtedly one of the easiest ways to make store-bought pasta sauce taste homemade.
3. Bake it in a casserole
Who doesn't love a hearty casserole from time to time? One way to carry out this technique is to assemble lasagna with the canned pasta. In fact, ravioli is the surprising ingredient Giada De Laurentiis uses for her lasagna hack and it is beyond genius. She uses frozen ravioli, but canned works just as efficiently. And since the canned ravioli is pre-cooked, it saves cooking time, because you only need the lasagna in the oven long enough to heat the components and melt the cheese.
A fair warning, though, you might need a couple of cans to make a whole dish. First, build the lasagna with layers of pasta, mozzarella, tomato sauce, parmesan, and more to your liking. De Laurentiis adds sausage to hers, which gives it more substance. Another terrific idea is to use canned ravioli instead of pasta in other baked casseroles. For example, a ravioli and spinach bake is similar to lasagna, except it doesn't have sauce. Instead, use spinach, garlic, cheese, and seasonings to give the baked dish impressive levels of flavor.
4. Turn it into a warm soup
Replace the pasta in soup recipes with canned ravioli for a delicious experience. For instance, follow a recipe like Italian-style soup with turkey sausage. And rather than using the bowtie pasta, dump the whole can of ravioli in. The sauce from the can will also flavor the soup. Since the ravioli is already soft enough, it doesn't need to spend as much time in the soup liquid because it will fall apart. Simply add it in during the last five minutes when you cook it to heat it through.
Alternatively, use the ravioli and sauce as a base to create soup without following a recipe. If you are unsure whether to use stock or broth, just think about what consistency you want. For thick and hearty stews, utilize stock. Otherwise, use broth, though both will provide incredible flavor. Be sure to build upon the soup base and add other elements like meat, veggies, and herbs. Finally, don't forget to season as you go to create flavor depth. Whichever route you take, this technique is a wise way to transform a simple jar of ravioli into an entirely new meal altogether.
5. Turn one Italian dish into another
If the ravioli is too soft for your liking, use it as a calzone filling. The pizza dough exterior gets nice and crispy when it bakes, contrasting it with the tender pasta inside. One genius Reddit user had this idea and shared how it not only tastes scrumptious but also satisfies your hunger. The photo they posted shows a glorious heap of ravioli piled with shredded cheese on top of the calzone dough. Aside from the ravioli and cheese, you have the opportunity to toss crumbled sausage or beef in it too. Meanwhile, the canned ravioli has sauce, so there is no need to add anything else that's liquid. Otherwise, it makes the dough soggy.
To try this approach, buy store-bought pizza dough or create your own. The pre-made kind is quite handy, especially if it comes flawlessly rolled out. The only thing left to do is place the filling in it and fold it over, then close the seams of the dough. Use your fingers or a fork to secure it, so no filling seeps out when you bake it. Next, brush the calzone with egg wash and bake it until it is golden and the interior is thoroughly heated. The same goes for homemade dough, except you need to allow time for the dough to rest and rise before you work with it.
6. Add veggies for texture contrast
Whether you want to make the canned product taste better or give it a texture boost, veggies are almost always the way to go. Fortunately, countless vegetables taste good in tomato-based sauces. For example, onions, zucchini, and bell peppers are just a few examples that provide instant flavor. To use these veggies, slice them thinly or cut them into small-diced cubes. How you cook them is your call, but sautéing the veggies is one of the quicker options.
First, heat a small amount of oil in a pan before you add in the other components. Next, create sautéed Italian-style vegetables, then toss in your ravioli at the last minute to heat and evenly distribute the pasta. Other vegetables, including eggplant, olives, yellow squash, carrots, and broccoli will also work in a dish like this. And as far as cooking methods go, roast or steam the vegetables if you don't want to sauté them. Not only does the ravioli benefit from the palatability of fresh vegetables, but it also benefits you because of the nutritional value that come with fresh veggies.
7. Give it a crispy coating
If you've never tried toasted ravioli, now is your chance, especially if you adore fried foods. The warm, crispy ravioli is ideal for dipping, and the good news is that it's quite uncomplicated to make. Create this masterpiece with an air fryer, a deep fryer, or simply on the stovetop. For the fried ravioli, prepare your deep fryer or pot with enough oil (if you use a pot, you want at least five inches of depth). To batter the ravioli, dip them in a milky egg mixture and then in breadcrumbs to coat them. Use seasonings in the breadcrumbs to make the flavor that much more impactful before frying the battered ravioli until it's slightly brown.
On the chance that you don't want to submerge the food in oil, this is where air fryer toasted ravioli comes to save the day. Don't batter with ravioli, but instead drizzle it lightly with oil, just enough so the breadcrumbs stick. Frozen ravioli only takes 10 minutes to toast in an air fryer set to 390 Farenheit, so for pre-cooked ravioli, start with half that amount of time and use your best judgment. If the ravioli isn't as crunchy as you desire, cook it for a couple of minutes longer. Serve the ravioli with marinara, Alfredo, or any sauce you favor for the ultimate dipping experience.
8. Incorporate herbs and spices into it
Sometimes we don't have time to cook meat and vegetables, and we need a quick method to improve the quality of canned food. One of the simplest, yet most effective solutions is spices and herbs. Many essential spices you should have in your pantry taste phenomenal when paired with pasta and sauce. In particular, dried oregano, cayenne, garlic powder, and chili powder are all great picks for sprucing up a can of ravioli. Add a bit of seasoning to the pasta and mix it before you heat it, then taste it to establish whether it's adequate or needs more. Dried seasonings do the trick because they highlight the pre-existing spices and salt in the food.
Furthermore, consider adding fresh herbs to take it up a notch. Whether you throw in basil, parsley, cilantro, or rosemary, they will all help to refresh the meal. You might wonder if you can use fresh and dried herbs in the same meal, and the truth is that you absolutely can. When you do so, it is crucial to know when to add fresh herbs compared to dry herbs. Sprinkle in the dried seasoning throughout the cooking process, but don't include the fresh herbs until the last moments to preserve their color and taste. With the right combination, you will have a flavor packed meal.
9. Add cheese
Here is a low-effort trick to enrich the pre-made pasta: Mix in some cheese. Plenty of different types are a good match for the ravioli, whether you like shredded, crumbled, or even creamy cheese. According to Undeniably Dairy, there are eight main classes of cheese, ranging from soft cheese to hard cheese, and they each have their unique qualities. Romano and Parmesan are both hard kinds of cheese and taste astounding when you grate them over pasta. Add them at the last minute after you heat the ravioli through in order to give the dish a final touch.
Other reliable choices are mozzarella and Monterey Jack because they pair well with tomato sauce and melt easily. These are optimal for when you want to incorporate cheese into the dish rather than just use it as a garnish. If you hope to use crumbly cheese, sprinkle on Feta, Gorgonzola, or goat cheese. Not everyone has multiple kinds of cheese available to them, but, luckily, if all you have is a shredded cheese blend in your fridge, that will do as well. Fold it into the ravioli to melt it or scatter it atop the food just before you serve it.
10. Mix it with another style
Have you ever tried BBQ spaghetti? The tanginess of the BBQ sauce combined with the sweetness of the tomatoes creates the ultimate flavor combination. BBQ spaghetti also contains barbecue pulled pork, which brings the whole meal together. If you want to try something creative with your tin of ravioli, turn it into a meal reminiscent of BBQ spaghetti. To flawlessly execute this dish, cook the pulled pork separately and season it appropriately. Have BBQ sauce, tomato sauce, shredded cheese, and your favorite seasonings ready. Now it's time to mix the two sauces. As a tip, for every can of tomato sauce, you need between ½ cup to one cup of BBQ sauce.
Season, taste, and adjust the sauce until it meets your tastebud's needs. Heat the sauce and meat in a large pan, then add the canned ravioli last. When you go to dish it up, sprinkle some cheese atop the saucy pasta to embellish it. Alternatively, mix everything and turn it into a casserole — which, as we discussed earlier, is a sure way to elevate the ravioli as well.
11. Kick up the heat
If you give the ravioli some spice, it will be anything but boring. As a matter of fact, pasta is one of the pantry staples that go with super spicy dishes because the carbs balance the heat perfectly. One way to make the meal spicy is to add hot peppers, whether it be jalapeños, Serrano, chipotle, or habaneros. Dice the peppers and sauté them, then add the sauce to the pan and allow the peppers to cook in it. The flavors will marry, and the dish will be pleasantly piquant. Another option is to mix hot sauce with the tomato sauce. You likely won't need much for the flavor to be prominent, so start with a tiny amount and slowly add more.
Whichever hot sauce you have in your pantry works, such as Sriracha, Tapatío, or Louisiana hot sauce. Speaking of fiery flavors, if you are someone who likes spicy food, you should have Gochujang on your table (and in your pasta). Gochujang is a Korean chili paste that carries heat, to say the least. It is unique compared to other chili products because it has earthy undertones and seasonings that appear amid the spiciness. Add it to your ravioli, and the sauce's taste will go from surface-level to tantalizing.
12. Change up the mouthfeel
Sometimes, a dish only needs a better mouthfeel to reach its full potential. When it comes to canned ravioli, it, unfortunately, tends to be relatively delicate and lacks textural variety. Luckily, when you incorporate breadcrumbs into the mix, everything changes. If you want to heat the pasta in the oven, the process is simple. Remember to use an oven-safe dish and spread the ravioli so it heats more evenly. Then, place the breadcrumbs on top and bake them until they're browned and the sauce is bubbling on the sides.
Alternatively, cook the breadcrumbs separately if you wish to heat the pasta in a quicker fashion than in the oven. Drizzle a small amount of oil in a pan and cook the crumbs until they darken. Then, place them over the ravioli just before you serve it. Lastly, the broiler is a fantastic way to toast breadcrumbs rapidly. So, if you heat the pasta in the microwave while you toast the breadcrumbs under the broiler, it works out quite well for a quick and easy bite.