Fresh Herb and Cheese Ravoili

I have a pretty intense herb garden growing on my roof right now. After making mountains of pesto, I have been looking for other ways to use herbs in bulk. Personally, I find plain cheese ravioli to be pretty boring. It can be creamy and delicious, but after a few bites, I get it and want to move on. This recipe takes plain cheese ravioli to a new place and helps it stand up to sauces better than the standard variety. For expediencies sake, I made this batch of ravioli with pre-made wonton wrappers that I had in my fridge. The flavor is a little different than a typical pasta dough, but they are thin, perfectly cut and allow for the making of fresh pasta without making a mess of the kitchen. It also worked out fabulously with last nights Olympics matches, I set up a little ravioli making station on my coffee table and produced a freezer's worth of ravioli while watching the games.

     



















Ingredients
1 package of pre-made wonton wrappers
1/2 log of goat cheese at room temperature (about 2 ounces)
3/4 cup of ricotta cheese
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs (basil, thyme, oregano, chives)
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Combine the cheese, herbs and seasoning in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Taste and re-season accordingly.

2. Put a heaping teaspoon into the center of each wrapper. Dip your finger in water and wet the edge of the wrapper all the way around. Place the top wrapper on and push the edges down to seal. Try to get as much air out of the center as possible.

3. Place ravioli in a large boiling pot of water. They should cook in 2-3 minutes and will float when done.

4. Top with pesto and a little fresh cracked pepper.

Farfalle with Asparagus, Snap Peas and Fresh Lemon Pesto

Fresh pesto is easy to make and can transform a very simple dish into something impressive.  Simply saute asparagus and snap peas and toss with farfalle and fresh pesto for a green, summery weeknight dish.  This dish is good both hot and cold, and is worth making more than you need so there are guaranteed leftovers.

     Pesto Ingredients
1 cup packed fresh basil
1 garlic clove
zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (toast over medium/low heat for 4-5 minutes)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil  
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper 


     Pasta Ingredients
3-4 cups farfalle pasta
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
2 cups snap peas
1 garlic clove
olive oil

1. For the pesto - combine the basil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, toasted pine nuts, Parmesan and pepper into a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds. With the machine off, scrape the edges. With the machine running, slowly drizzle the olive oil until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Taste and adjust as desired.

2. Boil water and start cooking the pasta.

3. Chop the asparagus into pieces slightly shorter in length than the snap peas. Remove the ends of the snap peas.

4. In a saute pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 sliced garlic clove. Add the garlic while the oil is cold and allow them to heat up together, this infuses the oil with the flavor of garlic. Bring to medium heat, add the snap peas and saute for 3 minutes, then add the asparagus and cook until al dente (meaning they still have a slight crunch).

5. Add the pesto to the pan with the vegetables and the pasta and toss until evenly coated. You may need to add some of the pasta water to loosen up the pesto so it can spread evenly.

Maltagliati with Zucchini and Squash

Maltagliati is the Italian word for "badly cut" meaning scrap pasta. After making pasta rounds for tomorrow nights tortellini, I was unenthusiastic about making myself a nice meal.  Luckily I had a pile of remnant pasta pieces next to my stove, and combined with a squash and zucchini from my refrigerator, I ended up with a nice dinner and tomorrow's lunch.

     Recipe


1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
2 cloves garlic (smashed with the back of the knife)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste


1 large handful fresh Maltagliati pasta (or dried penne or farfalle would be good)


1. Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Meanwhile, slice the zucchini and squash in half lengthwise and then chop into 1/4 half rounds.

2. Place the zucchini and squash in the pan, add a the thyme, salt and fresh cracked pepper and stir. Then add the garlic on top, do not stir, and place the lid on. Let this sit for 5 minutes.

3. Uncover the pan, allow the water from the lid to drip back into the pan and stir. At this point the vegetables should be not quite al dente. Turn up the heat to medium high and cook until the vegetables start to brown slightly.

4. Add the cooked pasta, the cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and if needed, a little more olive oil. This can be made with dried pasta as well, I'd recommend penne, but the maltagliati makes this special and very quick!