ravioli

Beet Pistachio Ravioli

~ lk529 ~ 11 Comments

It’s February and that means all things hearts and all things red and pink.

Now I am the first to defiantly declare that I hate pink. But as I mature my mind has opened up a bit to taking an interest in the girly color. I actually own three articles of clothing in the pink family!

But when it comes to pink foods, I’m all for it!

We’re talking beets. Again!

These pasta purses are simple to assemble and would definitely make for quite the showstopper at your Valentine’s dinner this month.

ravioli-purse-assembly

Using wonton or egg roll wrappers makes homemade ravioli a less daunting task. To cook the beets, either roast them in the oven or boil them until tender.

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Beet Pistachio Ravioli

Ingredients:

  • 2 beets, peeled, chopped, and cooked until tender
  • 1/2 C ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 C parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 C shelled pistachios
  • 3 tbsp mascarpone cheese
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 pkg (12 oz) wonton wrappers
  • water, for sealing the ravoili
  • melted butter, for serving
  • Meyer lemon olive oil, for serving
  • cooked pancetta or bacon, for serving (optional)
  • fresh mint, for garnish (optional)

Steps:

  1. Place cooked beets, ricotta, parmesan, pistachios, mascarpone, S+P in a food processor and puree until smooth.
  2. Place a small spoonful in the center of a wonton wrapper. Dip finger in a shallow bowl of water and trace the edge of the wrapper. Pinch wonton into a little purse. [see photos above] You can also simply fold the wonton wrapper into triangles.
  3. Cook assembled wontons in a pot of boiling salted water for approximately 4 minutes, until the wonton wrapper is clear and the ravioli float to the top.
  4. Serve ravioli warm with a drizzle of melted butter, Meyer lemon olive oil, S+P. Add some crispy pancetta or bacon for texture and fresh mint for freshness and greenery.

*This recipe is adapted from Erica at http://www.forkknifeandlove.com/easy-beet-pistachio-ravioli-with-lemon-butter-sauce/*

Beet and Pistachio Ravioli | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Chicken Marsala Ravioli

~ lk529 ~ 3 Comments

Whenever we go to Olive Garden my husband can’t help but order their Stuffed Chicken Marsala. He tries. He says he’s not going to do it – because he always wipes the plate clean – and every time Stuffed Chicken Marsala ends up being brought to our table and placed in front of him.

Not being a mushroom lover, I’ve actually never even tried it!

But when I got the idea for Marsala ravioli – honestly, I can’t even remember where the inspiration hit – I decided to give it a go.

Making the ravioli was another one of those, never-thought-I’d-do-that moments. I’m talking about putting meat in my food processor. Pureed meat has always given me the heebie jeebies (but I do like Liverwurst and pate… I’m odd). It’s one of the main reasons I decided to introduce my babies to food using the baby led weaning method. The filling for the ravioli isn’t pureed to a smooth consistency though, it just needs to be insanely finely minced so it can fit inside the pasta.

Like all of my ravioli recipes, I used wonton wrappers.

I’d assembled enough ravioli to freeze for two more meals! Good thing too because meal number one involved a sauce that wasn’t too great and was horribly photographed. Meal number two had a fantastically delcious sauce that this mushroom lover sopped up but photographs were still pretty bland. Meal number three was perfect and photographed decently – I didn’t forget the fresh parsley for garnishing my bowl of pasta this time!

The ravioli recipe comes from Tyler Florence and the sauce recipe comes from Giada De Laurentiis.

Chicken Marsala Ravioli

Ingredients:

  • 4 tbsp olive oil, divided use
  • 3/4 lb chicken breast, cubed
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 C Marsala wine
  • 4 slices prosciutto, chopped
  • 4 bay leaves
  • fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tbsp bread crumbs
  • 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided use
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 C heavy cream
  • 2 packages wonton wrappers

Steps:

  1. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute chicken until golden on both sides and fully cooked. Add the shallot and garlic and cook a minute.
  2. Deglaze the pan with the wine, bring to a quick bubble and add the prosciutto, bay leaves, and parsley. Allow Marsala to reduce a little and thicken. Stir in the bread crumbs, 1 tbsp Parmesan, and 1 tbsp olive oil.
  3. Remove the bay leaves and transfer filling mixture to a food processor. Add the egg, cream, and the remaining Parmesan and olive oil. Pulse until the filling comes together. Season to taste with S+P. Chill.
  4. Assemble ravioli: place a small spoonful of the filling in the center of a wonton wrapper. Wet the edges and fold into a triangle.
  5. Cook ravioli in boiling salted water 2 minutes, until they float and the wonton is translucent.

*This recipe is adapted from Tyler Florence at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken-marsala-ravioli-filling-recipe.html*

Marsala Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided use
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp flour
  • 1/3 C Marsala wine
  • 1 1/4 C chicken broth

Steps:

  1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the mushrooms for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the shallot, season with salt, and cook 2 more minutes.
  2. Reduce the heat to medium and whisk in the flour and remaining oil to form a paste. Stir in the wine until smooth. Add the broth and simmer 5-10 minutes.

*This recipe is adapted from Happy Cooking by Giada De Laurentiis*

Chicken Marsala Ravioli | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

A “Date Night” Potluck Party

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

We had our final Recipe Club meeting last week. With most of us moving in the next couple of months the group looks like it’s fizzled to a stop. I had a great time with these ladies and met my best friend up here (and Firecracker’s best friend, too!) through this group and I am forever grateful. I couldn’t have imagined this assignment here in Ohio without these fabulous ladies and the clubs and groups that I joined while here.

For our last meeting I suggested “Date Night” as a theme, taking a cue from the holiday this Sunday. We had a very small gathering, only six of us! (There are seven items listed below because I brought two dishes.) I wasn’t surprised by the small turn out as most of our husbands are in hunker down mode finishing up their theses..thesii? I know I can’t wait for thesis defense to happen and the stress level in our life go down just a tad. So it’s no surprise that there was a good deal of chocolate on the menu during out meeting!

Date Night Recipe Round UpHere are the recipes that were brought to the “Date Night” potluck”

#FoodieExtravaganza: Mushrooms

~ lk529 ~ 20 Comments

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This month’s #FoodieExtravaganza theme is mushrooms. TheFoodie Extravaganza is a monthly party hosted by bloggers who love food! Each month we incorporate one main ingredient or theme into recipes to share with you. Thanks to Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for hosting this month.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure I was going to participate in today’s event as I’m not a mushroom lover. I didn’t rule it out completely though because my husband and son quite enjoy them.

A couple of weekends ago I had quite a lot on my schedule in preparation for a game night I was hosting (making fresh lemonade, baking this cake, and mixing roasted almonds) so my husband took our son out of the house and went to a grocery store that specializes in fresh, mostly organic foods. They came home with all sorts of great produce, including mushrooms.

I guess it was just meant to be that I participate in today’s Foodie Extravaganza!

I decided to also utilize another fresh produce grab, Brussels sprouts, in a creamy pasta dish that even this mushroom hater could enjoy. At the request of my husband I added Italian sausage to the dish, too. It was this ingredient addition that meant I couldn’t pick around the mushrooms and I ate most of them without worry. So, if you’ve got some picky family members who dislike mushrooms, you can easily hide them in this hearty entree! I’d consider it a success – all three of us enjoyed this for dinner and lunch the next day.

An Original Recipe

Ravioli with Mushrooms and Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

  • 18 oz cheese ravioli
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided use
  • 2 links Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 C chopped mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
  • 2 C sliced Brussels sprouts
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1/4 C chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 C milk, at room temperature (I used whole)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp flour
  • 3/4 – 1 C shredded Parmesan, to taste

Steps:

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook ravioli according to package directions. Strain, reserving some of the cooking liquid.
  2. In a Dutch oven, or other large pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage, breaking it up. When fully cooked remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  3. Add remaining tbsp olive oil and the butter to the pot. Saute mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, and rosemary until tender, about 8 minutes. Season with S+P. Add the garlic and cook another 60 seconds, until fragrant. Deglaze the pot with the chicken stock and cook until the liquid has evaporated.
  4. In a measuring cup whisk together the milk and flour. Slowly add the milk to the pot, stirring to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle boil and melt in the cheese. Season with addition S+P if needed. Add in the cooked ravioli and sausage. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water.

Ravioli with Mushrooms and Brussels Sprouts for #FoodieExtravaganza from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to check out the rest of these mushroom recipes:

Cheesy Mushroom Chicken by Fearlessly Creative Mammas

Chicken and Mushroom Stuffed Crepes by Cooking with Carlee

Crusted Seafood Mushroom Caps by The Freshman Cook

Duxelles by Food Lust People Love

Marinated Mushrooms by Making Miracles

Mushroom and Chorizo Ragu by Cookin’ and Craftin’

Mushroom Bread Pudding by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Mushroom Leek Chinese Dumplings by The Joyful Foodie

Mushroom Stroganoff with Herb Spaetzle by Caroline’s Cooking

Mushroom Zoodles and Cheese;by Brunch with Joy

Portabella and Butternut Squash Crepes by Cherishing A Sweet Life

Rántott Gomba – Hungarian Fried Mushrooms by Tara’s Multicultural Table

Shiitake Bruschetta by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

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Bacon and Corn Stuffed Shells

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

The pantry and fridge in our home has been pretty empty since Thanksgiving. Before the holiday the only food items on the shopping list were those required for my Thanksgiving contributions. And for the cookies that needed to be made as soon as we returned. I provided 107 cookies for a Cookie Drive for the local unaccompanied airmen who will be spending the holidays without their families. The cookies were due on the 3rd so December 1st and 2nd was Operation Cookie in my kitchen. Don’t worry, you’ll be seeing the recipes later this month!

I’ve also been slowed down with a wonderful December cold – which I have unfortunately passed on to my 5 month old. He’s taking it like a champ though and it’s not slowing him down.

And to top it all off my car’s check engine light came on before Thanksgiving and is finally awaiting its “doctor appointment”. Which means I have no means of going to the grocery store. I don’t think Sparrow appreciates the cold.

So I found myself brainstorming what I could possibly do with whatever I had in the fridge. I had some bacon, I had my staple of corn in the freezer, and I always have onions, there was some ricotta cheese left over from the twice baked sweet potatoes, and I had plenty of heavy cream. I also thought I had some jumbo pasta shells so that’s the direction I went. I still had to have Stuart hit the grocery store for a couple finishing ingredients (like more jumbo pasta shells, 7 wasn’t going to cut it, and Parmesan cheese) along with groceries for the rest of the week.

recipe 1

This recipe, I am proud to say, is a Lauren original. And one that turned out quite well, if I say so myself! Loaded with cheese and cream it doesn’t exactly fit on a diet plan, but it’s a wonderful comfort food dish. This filling would also be great in ravioli for a quicker meal. Serve these shells with a side salad for a complete meal. The filling stuffed 14 shells perfectly, and we had 2 left over. So I’d say it feeds 2-3.

An Original Recipe

Bacon and Corn Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

  • 4 strips center cut bacon, chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 C chicken stock (or white wine if you have it)
  • 1 1/3 C heavy cream
  • 14 jumbo pasta shells
  • 1 C whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 C frozen corn, thawed
  • 1/4 C + 1/3 C shredded Parmesan cheese, divided use
  • 1 egg, beaten

Steps:

  1. Cook bacon in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When crispy, remove to a paper towel lined plate. Saute onion in bacon grease until translucent. Season with S+P. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 60 seconds. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock (or wine), scrapping up delicious brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a bubble and let reduce, about 3 minutes. Slowly add in the heavy cream, whisking. Reduce the heat and let simmer 7-10 minutes, until reduced. Stir occasionally to prevent from burning.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. Cook pasta shells according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
  4. Prepare the filling: In a bowl combine ricotta, corn, 1/4 C Parmesan cheese, and cooked bacon. Season to taste with S+P. Stir in 1 egg.
  5. Spoon a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish. Spoon the filling into the shells when cool enough to handle and place in the casserole dish. Top shells with sauce, reserving 1/2 C for serving and/or leftovers.
  6. Bake shells for 20 minutes. Top with remaining Paremsan and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

shells 2

Spinach and Sausage Ravioli

~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

Using won ton wrappers makes making ravioli an acceptable weeknight dinner. This recipe is very similar to the one I shared with you on Valentine’s Day. Except this one includes meat!

Stuart bought some Hot Italian Sausages from Publix for lunch one weekend and instead of relocating the sausages to the freezer he put the uneaten ones in the fridge. I knew I had to find a recipe to use up the meat before it went bad. Yes, I know I could’ve put them in the freezer, but here was thawed out meat ready and waiting!

I was also wanting pasta. But I didn’t want a heavy pasta because Mom was back in town helping me out. Typically when I crave pasta I’m wanting a cream based sauce – but I was trying to be conscious of my dinner choices. (Hence the increase in salad posts!) I chose to do ravioli because the blogger I found this from served hers simply with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mom decided to follow suit and enjoy her ravioli this way. I used my favorite, vodka sauce. And Stuart polished off a traditional jarred marinara.

Mom doesn’t mind cooking, but she hates making decisions on what to make. So her deal was, “I’ll cook it, you just have to tell me what it is.” I actually felt guilty in picking ravioli. Not because it’s difficult, but because it is time consuming. So, I got off the couch and joined her at the dining table to help assemble the ravioli. We went through the entire package of won ton wrappers – we had leftovers for days! If you assemble only what you’ll eat, keep your left over wrappers in a sealed bag in the fridge – you can even wrap them in a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out.

Spinach and Sausage Ravioli

Ingredients:

  • 2 links hot Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 15 oz ricotta cheese
  • 2 C fresh baby spinach, finely chopped
  • 1 C shredded Asiago cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 pkg (12 oz) won ton wrappers (these can be found in the refrigerated area of the produce section)*

Steps:

  1. In a nonstick skillet, brown sausage over medium-high heat. Breaking up into little pieces. Drain any fat.
  2. In a bowl combine sausage, cheese, spinach, and egg. Season with S+P.
  3. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil while assembling the ravioli.
  4. Place about 1/2-1 tsp of filling in the center of each wrapper. Dip your finger in water and run along all four sides of the wrapper. Fold into a triangle and seal.
  5. Boil the ravioli in batches of 8-10 to avoid them breaking apart. Boil 3-4 minutes, or until they float. They will become slightly translucent.
  6. Heat your favorite pasta sauce and serve with ravioli. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese if desired.

*This recipe is adapted from http://www.justputzing.com/2011/10/spinach-and-sausage-raviolis.html*

Sausage Ravioli

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Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

For my first Valentine’s Day as a blogger I bring you the first dish I ever made for Stuart.

On our 1 year anniversary back in college I made him dinner. I was living in the dorms and my roommate with a car helped me get to the grocery store and to his apartment so that I could surprise him with dinner. I made ravioli, Caesar salad, and an apple crisp for dessert.

Everything turned out great – except the apple crisp. The salad was one of the prepackaged options from the store, so I couldn’t go wrong there. The ravioli came from a book, Teens Cook: How to Cook What You Want to Eat, that I was gifted before attending college. I think the apple crisp recipe came from that book as well, but I don’t remember. Oh, everything turned out fine and Stuart and his roommates ate it. But I was “forced” to use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter in place of real butter because apparently I was wrong to assume boys kept real butter in the fridge. Let me tell you, I could believe it wasn’t real butter and that not-real butter taste was only accented once baked in the crumble topping.

But I digress. This post is supposed to be about ravioli, not my abhorrence to fake butter.

For the blog I decided to try making heart shaped ravioli. And it worked!

Won ton wrappers are used in place of fresh pasta which makes it a super simple meal. Typically I’d use one sheet of won ton wrapper and fold it over, but when you’re cutting hearts out of it you need to use two sheets per raviolo. (I think that’s the singular to ravioli… eh, it sounds fun anyway!) The amount of filling you place inside each heart will depend on the size of your cookie cutter – you need to make sure you can seal the ravioli so the filling doesn’t escape while boiling.

Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli

Ingredients:

  • 15 oz ricotta cheese
  • 1 C julienned fresh spinach
  • 1/2 C shredded Italian blend cheese (or Parmesan)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 pkg (12 oz) won ton wrappers (these can be found in the refrigerated area of the produce section)*
  • your favorite pasta sauce

*You will need two packages if making heart shaped ravioli

Steps:

  1. In a bowl combine cheeses and spinach. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil while assembling the ravioli.
  3. If making heart shaped ravioli, use a cookie cutter to cut hearts out of each won ton wrapper. Place about 1/4 tsp of filling in the center of the heart. Dip your finger in water and run along the edge of the heart. Place a second heart on top and seal shut.
  4. If not making heart shaped ravioli, place about 1/2-1 tsp of filling in the center of each wrapper. Dip your finger in water and run along all four sides of the wrapper. Fold into a triangle and seal.
  5. Boil the ravioli in batches of 8-10 to avoid them breaking apart. Boil 3-4 minutes, or until they float. They will become slightly translucent.
  6. Heat your favorite pasta sauce and serve with ravioli. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese if desired.

Hearts Ravioli 1 Heart Ravioli 2

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.