Italian Street Food

Some nights just need to be simple. Try these easy appetizer recipes the next night you have some time on the deck or patio scheduled! Appetizers as good as these may mean you don’t even need an entrée.

Fried Ravioli Appetizer

• Olive oil, for frying
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups Italian-style bread crumbs
• 1 box store-bought cheese ravioli (about 24 ravioli)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 jar store bought marinara sauce, heated, for dipping

Pour enough olive oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. 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 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 occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried ravioli to paper towels to drain.

Sprinkle the fried ravioli with Parmesan and serve with a bowl of warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

Italian Fried Olive Appetizer

• 1-ounce Gorgonzola cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 20 pitted green olives, rinsed and dried thoroughly
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Special equipment: a pastry bag, a plain tip with a 1/4-inch opening. I don’t have a pastry bag so I use a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off……either way it will work fine!

In a small bowl, combine the cheeses, thyme, and lemon zest. Place the cheese mixture into the pastry bag. Pipe the cheese mixture into each olive.

Place the flour in a small bowl. Pour the beaten egg in another small bowl and the bread crumbs in a third small bowl. Dredge the olives in the flour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the olives and place in the bowl with the beaten egg. Coat the olives with the egg and transfer to the bowl of bread crumbs. Coat the olives with the bread crumbs.

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour in enough oil to fill the pan about 1/3of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in a couple of minutes.) Fry the olives, in batches, for 30 to 45 seconds until golden brown. Drain the fried olives on paper towels. Cool for 5 minutes.