St. Louis Toasted Ravioli

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Charlie E. Gitto, Jr. of Charlie Gitto's restaurant in St. Louis' Hill neighborhood, shares the eatery's fabled recipe.

1 beaten egg
2 tablespoons milk
2/3-1 cup seasoned fine dry bread crumbs
1 16 - ounce package frozen ravioli, thawed (for the homemade version, follow recipe below)
Shortening or cooking oil for frying
1 cup spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce
Grated Parmesan cheese

In a shallow dish, combine egg and milk. Place bread crumbs in another shallow dish. Dip ravioli in egg mixture; roll in bread crumbs, coating evenly.
In a 3-quart heavy saucepan, heat 2 inches of shortening or cooking oil over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes (oil should be 350 degree F). Add 4 or 5 ravioli. Fry about 1 minute or until golden. Turn carefully. Fry about 1 minute more or until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm in a 300 degree F oven while frying the remaining ravioli.
In a small saucepan, heat spaghetti sauce. To serve, sprinkle ravioli with Parmesan cheese. Serve with warm sauce for dipping. Makes 12 to 14 appetizers.

In a large mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients, and mix until the ingredients come together to form a dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 to 15 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.
Combine the beef, veal, onion, celery, carrots, salt, and pepper in a roasting pan and roast until cooked through, about 1 hour. Let cool.
Add the spinach, then grind ingredients in a meat grinder with a fine grind. Add the eggs and cheese, and mix well to create a paste-like texture.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface using a rolling pin. Make a large, very thin layer of dough. Spread out a thin layer of filling on half of one side of the dough, using a spatula. Fold the dough end over the filling side of the dough. Mark the filled dough with a ravioli marker (ravioli rolling pin). Cut ravioli out using a ravioli cutter. Freeze until hard.
Make an egg wash by mixing together the eggs and milk. Add the ravioli to the wash, then dip in the seasoned bread crumbs. Refreeze until ready to fry.
Preheat a deep fryer to 350 degree F.
Fry the ravioli until golden brown. Serve hot on a plate sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan on top and tomato sauce on the side.

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