Review: Ravino Ravioli

I have a teenager.

He’s officially been a teenager for ten months now, and that still feels weird saying.

And with that teenager, a voracious appetite sometimes pops up.

Some days he cannot shovel food in his mouth fast enough.

And other days, I swear he subsists on pretzels, ginger ale, and Mentos.

BOYS.

When he is in an eat-all-things mood, he has a particular fondness for ravioli.

Trust be told, he has a particular fondness for most forms of pasta.

But ravioli is up there towards the top.

And while I don’t indulge in carbs quite as often as I’d like, pasta for dinner is certainly a good go-to when we’re having a crazier than usual weeknight.

So when the folks at Ravino Ravioli popped into my inbox and wanted to know if we wanted to give their product line a try,

I was all in.

Like Sheryl Sandberg and her Lean In movement.

I LEANED.

A big box arrived on our doorstep, packed carefully with dry ice to keep the precious cargo frozen, and we dragged it into our kitchen.

First impression?

This group CARES about their ravioli.

They’re not just thrown in a plastic bag and frozen all together.

No sir.

There are packaged in thin boxes, with each ravioli getting its own separate space.

So no frozen raviolis getting stuck together and breaking apart. That’s the worst.

And the flavors? Although these aren’t your typical teenager-approved filling flavors, they are definitely something completely different, and not what you’ll find in your local grocery store.

And that’s a good thing.

*And teenagers can breathe easy, Ravino has traditional fillings as well.

All natural, local ingredients. Chickpea and Kale. Mushroom and Fontina (my favorite). Spinach and Ricotta.

One of the best parts of ravioli is how fast it cooks up, and this brand is no exception. Just a few minutes in boiling water, and you’ll be serving them up at your dining room table.

For the kids, I stuck with the Cheese ravioli, and they loved them. The first time I made them, I served them with just melted butter and Parmesan cheese. The second time, I went with the homemade vodka sauce that is a tried-and-true in our kitchen. And the third? Just a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

They are light, airy, and full of flavor. They are currently available at select specialty stores and grocery stores in four different states, so if they happen to be in your area, do seek them out.

Making dinner time just a little more special … and sane.