Ravioli Nachos

Today is National Ravioli Day, but I'm sure you already knew that... right?! I'm sharing a very unique recipe on FOX59 News​... ravioli nachos! I already know some people are thinking, "What the heck. Why would you do this? Nachos are already delicious." But you know what, ravioli is also delicious. And if you toast them in the oven, you basically have the equivalent of a cheese-stuffed chip, and I never turn down anything stuffed with cheese.

Nachos are, of course, a very popular game day snack, and this ravioli version is just a little heartier and a little carbier (not a word, but it should be). With the NCAA tournament currently going on, this would be a great snack to watch your favorite team.

I started by toasting the ravioli to make ravioli "chips." There are a couple of ways to do this, but I found my favorite way by trial and error. First step: cook the ravioli per package directions. So I cooked these in boiling water on the stove for about 3 minutes. Then I tossed them with a little olive oil and salt, and I laid them out on a baking sheet. The olive oil is actually very important. I found them to be quite rubbery without the olive oil. Then you bake them at a very high temperature -- 425 degrees for 12 minutes.

Once you're done baking the ravioli chips, just load them up like nachos on the baking sheet. You're going to want to melt the cheese though, so it's important that the first toppings you add to your nachos can be heated. For example, I added bean, jalapenos and olives first before adding the cheese. Then I stuck it back in the oven so the cheese melted.

Then you'll want to add your fresh food items, like tomato, pico de gallo, green onion, etc.

Also, while I was focused on turning ravioli into nachos, I came up with another great nacho idea -- pizza nachos!

You start the same way with the toasted ravioli, but then you add pizza toppings on top, like sausage, green pepper, olives, tomatoes, and pepperoni; then that's all covered in pizza sauce, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, with a little oregano. And top it off with a little basil.

Ravioli Nachos
Ingredients

• 1 (20 ounce) package ravioli
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Toppings of your choice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Cook ravioli in boiling water for about 3 minutes
3. Drain and dry ravioli and toss with olive oil and salt
4. Space ravioli out evenly on baking sheet and bake for  about 12 minutes or until they start to turn golden
5. Remove from oven and add toppings like meat, beans, jalapenos, and cheese
6. Put back in oven for about 3 minutes, or until cheese has melted
7. Add additional toppings and serve