Homemade Ravioli

This was a Martha Stewart "Quick Ravioli" recipe that is not so quick. It is faster than making the pasta sheets yourself but not a 30 minute meal either. This recipe is still somewhat time-consuming, but worth the effort. It makes dozens so it is perfect for a nice dinner for hosting a small group or a special occasion for a significant other. It also works great for leftover won tons or egg roll wrappers that you struggle to use before they go dry.

My mother and I have since revamped Martha's recipe to include more goody fillings and some variations on sauces. A friend reminded me of these raviolis when I realized I don't have a big variety of vegetables in my recipes, especially broccoli. When it occurred to me that my ravioli recipe is vegetarian, I was so excited to post it.

Homemade Ravioli

1/2 pint of ricotta cheese

Italian herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, etc)

1 pint mushrooms, preferably baby bellos

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 head broccoli, steamed

garlic salt/pepper

Parmesan cheese (optional)

1 pack of egg roll sheets (available in the vegetarian section)

2 chicken or vegetable bullion cubes

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

fresh basil

1/4 cup olive oil

Steam broccoli by snipping broccoli florets from the stem and laying them in a single layer in a steam basket over a shallow pot of boiling water. Cover and check on after 5 minutes. When broccoli is bright green and tender it is done. If you do not have a steam basket you can put broccoli in a Ziplock bag with some water (1 inch) and microwave for one minute. This is not preferred since cooking plastic can put toxins in your food, but there are great alternatives that are now on the market.

Preheat oven 400 degrees and toast walnuts until fragrant, no more than 10 minutes. Sauté mushrooms in a little bit of olive oil and minced garlic over medium heat. Season with garlic salt and pepper. I love garlic but if you think fresh, minced and garlic seasoning are too much, just use coarse salt and pepper to season. Chop broccoli florets and mushrooms and add to 1/2 cup ricotta cheese. Mix well, adding Italian seasoning or fresh Italian herbs, if available. If you want to use some grated parm to add a little more taste, do a few tablespoons in the ricotta mix.

Martha uses won ton wrappers for her ravioli, which I did for the longest time, but find that they are much more time-consuming. I take one egg roll wrapper and cut in half with a pizza cutter, or any straight cutter, and fill one side of the half-wrapper with one tablespoon mix. I wet a square around the mix and fold over. The won ton wrappers are not square and are more likely to break when boiling. Do not use more than 1 tbsp of the mix or the ravioli will bust from the moisture of the ricotta. Since this is the most time-consuming part of the meal you will allow plenty of time for the wrappers to stick together before you boil them.

Start a pot of boiling water and add a bullion cube. The chicken adds the most flavor but if you are a strict vegetarian the vegetable bullion also adds flavor. Boil no more than three raviolis at at time or they will get too crowded or you might lose them. Time the raviolis for 2-3 minutes. It will not take long for them to boil and over boiling will cause them to break. These are very delicate raviolis so be careful and don't get frustrated. Pile the raviolis on top of one another on a rimmed plate to keep them moist while you boil the rest. Do not put down a paper towel because they will stick.

Serve raviolis with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, toasted walnuts and julienne-cut basil or some more parm if you prefer. For a lighter sauce use 1/4 cup pasta water with 1-2 tbsp of pesto.

What's in Season? Asparagus

Okay, I have a cholesterol/blood pressure check this week, so I need to be ultra-conscious of saturated fats this week. To celebrate my new William Sonoma "it costs what?" gourmet pizza cutter, we are making pizza his week.

Let me preface by saying I do not like asparagus. It was one of those vegetables on the ultimate vegetable list that I was hoping would be at the bottom. However, it is packed full of folate and other vitamins I don't regularly get in my every day diet. So when I learned that asparagus was in season right now, I figured I needed to find a recipe I like with the little pegs. I was inspired by this photo.

Yes, another pizza, but I did go out on a limb and use the whole wheat dough that is sold at Trader Joes. I tried this kind several months ago and hated it, but I figured if we are going all vegetarian, then there is no sense in adding white flour to the recipe. Since I hardly leave a crust on my pizza and I have wall to wall toppings, it was not so bad as I remember. This pizza is so packed with flavor, you really can go with the whole wheat without effort.

When I buy basil, I get it in huge bunches that I can hardly use in one setting before it goes bad. You have one of two options here: make your own pesto or freeze for a later use. At first I thought there is no way frozen and revived herbs are going to taste good, but Martha has a tip for freezing herbs with oil in ice cub trays. This works great for the same tiny trays you use for freezing tomato paste. I used two cubes and sautéed with garlic until melted before adding vegetables. Groceries have also started to sell tubes of herbs for easy storage. Can be expensive though.

Colorful Asparagus Pizza

1 serving whole wheat pizza dough (homemade or Trader Joe variety)
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 ice cubes of frozen basil or fresh or tube basil
1 bunch asparagus, cut in 1.5 inch stems starting from the top (don't use think end of stalk)
1/2 - 1 pint grape tomatoes (yes grape, not cherry), cut in half
1/2 - 1 pint mushrooms (I used baby bellos but whatever you prefer will work)
2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
handful baby spinach, chopped
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
Italian seasoning
Asiago/Parm cheese blend (Trader Joes has the best but Sargento has great-tasting low-fat Italian cheese blend too) Nutrition Action has some good cheese recommendations.

Heat your pizza stone, if using, in the oven at 450 degrees. Normally I will just turn on the oven and shove the stone in while the oven preheats so you don't lose any cooking time. Roll out your dough into a thin crust. Dust cooking sheet with corn meal to keep dough from sticking. Put dough on hot pizza stone or baking sheet. Stab with a fork several times to let air bubbles out and bake for 8 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Saute basil oil cubes with garlic until melted and brown. First add asparagus and saute until bright green. Add grape tomatoes and cook until soft. I chose grape tomatoes for this recipe for two reasons (1) tomatoes are not in season and the grapes were the only ones available at TJs and (2) the grapes are less juicy and keep their shape better when soft or baked. Add mushrooms when vegetables are about done. Stir in vinaigrette. The dressing should have enough salt for the vegetables, but you might want to add some black pepper.

When the crust is slightly cooled, spread the ricotta edge to edge. I like using ricotta for pizza because vegetables need some "stick" to the pizza and it makes for a lighter taste. You can use tomato sauce if you like. You can add the Italian seasoning to the ricotta or top the pizza with it. Top ricotta with fresh spinach and vegetables. I used a slotted spoon for the vegetables to avoid too much of the dressing from getting on the pizza. Top with asiago cheese blend.


Bake for 15-20 minutes or until you get the desired browning. I tried to take photos while I made my dish to give some direction. I look like a messier cook than I really am. But this pizza was a perfect color and texture. I thought it would feed us for days but it goes fast. Enjoy!

Eggplant Rollatini

I was disappointed to find that the Eggplant Rollatini that I use is not accessible online. Martha (yes, we are on a first name basis) does a "Zap It" series in her Everyday Food catalog where she suggest gourmet meals made in the microwave. Microwaves are used for one thing: leftovers. So I normally take her recipe and make it into an oven-bake recipe. I also added a few more vegetables.

I am NOT an eggplant fan, but a friend of mine planted eggplants and I "inherited" one so I made this dish. It was an awesome surprise. I also learned that eggplant is one of the easier vegetables to grow, so save your grocery money, buy $2 packet of organic eggplant seeds and try this out.

Eggplant Rollatini

1 large eggplant (2 lb) cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices (at least 8 slices, don't use the heels)
1 hefty handful of baby spinach
1/2 cup low-fat ricotta
1-2 egg whites or 1/4 c egg white substitute
1 garlic clove
1/2 c grated parm cheese
Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, rosemary)
low-fat mozzarella cheese
1 cup marinara sauce

Preheat oven 350 degrees. In a rimmed plate or shallow dish layer eggplant into a microwave-safe bowl for about 6 minutes or until eggplant is tender and pliable. Blot with paper towels to absorb some liquid. In a square baking dish spread 1/3 - 1/2 cup of marinara sauce.

Rinse spinach. While still wet, add spinach to heated pan and stir until slightly wilted; squeeze out liquid with spoon and remove from pan. Coarsely chop spinach with butcher knife or ulu knife. In a bowl, mix ricotta, parm, egg whites, garlic, Italian seasoning, spinach and salt and pepper. Spread 1 hefty tablespoon cheese mix on eggplant slices, leaving a good edge. Do not overfill or you will have a time rolling it. Roll eggplant starting with the wide end. You should make two rows of 4 rolls. Lay seem-side down in baking dish. Top eggplant with another 1/2 cup of marinara.

Bake dish for 15 minutes. Top eggplant with mozz cheese and bake another 5 minutes. Believe it or not, two of these little rolls will satisfy you. To reheat, wrap eggplant rolls in tin foil and bake in toaster oven for 5-7 minutes. Microwave leftover marinara and pour over eggplant.

Bowties and Spicy Broccoli Rabe with Crunchy Crumbs Recipe - Rachael Ray modification

Bowties and Spicy Broccoli Rabe with Crunchy Crumbs Recipe - Every Day with Rachael Ray

On a shoe-string budget? Vegetarian meals can help. This recipe was a pleasant surprise to me. It is amazing what a difference the crunchy crumbs make to the taste of this meal. I seasoned the crumbs with garlic salt and pepper but be wary of too much salt. I also substituted red pepper for red pepper flakes. You still get the extra kick, but I am more likely to have flakes in the house than a leftover red pepper.

Bowties with Spicy Broccoli

1 head/flower garlic
1-2 bunch broccoli rabe (I like to use two for more nutrition)
1/2 lb. bowtie pasta
course salt/pepper
1 red chili, chopped OR crushed red pepper
1 slice wheat bread or roll
8 oz ricotta cheese

In large sauce pan boil garlic, sleeves on, for 3 minutes. Fish our garlic with a slotted spoon and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, peal the garlic and cut cloves in half. Add broccoli rabe to water and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse broccoli. If you want to use fewer pots, I put a steamer over the pot and cover for my broccoli while my garlic is boiling. This way I can use the same pot of water to boil my pasta. Be sure to reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.

At first I was skeptical of boiling garlic, but it makes the garlic more palatable. One more thing you will learn about me is that I am never afraid of garlic. Garlic is God's gift to the Earth, and I use it. Garlic is very good for you at fighting cancers and keeping down cholesterol and blood pressure. And nothing smells like a kitchen more than garlic roasted in oil. Whole garlic is not as overwhelming as it sounds. Garlic powder is in fact dehydrated and more concentrated. I am more likely to use fresh garlic than powder to get a softer seasoning.

If you have a broccoli head you are needing to use, I would say go ahead and use it. However, I much prefer using rabe for this recipe. Broccoli rabe, also referred to as broccolini, is a more tender broccoli flower. I will cut and steam most of the stem to get more for my money. The stem is not as bitter as regular broccoli.

Heat 1 tbsp oil on medium. Wait until the oil is hot before adding the broccoli and garlic halves. Add chili or crushed red pepper, and course salt and pepper. Saute until the broccoli is tender and garlic is brown.

Another healthy tip is do not use all the recommended olive oil in recipes. As silly as it sounds, make sure to measure how much oil you use. A teaspoon is about all you need for most sautes. I am as guilty as anyone to just pour and move on, but olive oil calories build up fast. Keep a teaspoon measure next to your olive oil to keep yourself in check. One teaspoon is actually enough if you buy a good non-stick pan and make sure your pan is hot before adding vegetables. Olive oil is also great for your veins. Be sure to always use extra virgin and I actually prefer Trader Joes unfiltered = less processed. And the color is fabulous.

You will not need to use a whole pint of ricotta. I used Trader Joes ricotta, which is much smoother than other store-bought versions and acts more like an alfredo sauce. Unfortunately Trader Joes does not offer a reduced fat version. For a lighter ricotta, I highly suggest Sorrentos. Mix 8 oz of ricotta cheese with the reserved pasta water.

Add another tbsp oil to heated pan. Use a food processor to make bread crumbs from your leftover bread. I do not recommend store-bought bread crumbs because you won't get the same texture. Add crumbs to pan and heat until oil is absorbed and crumbs are crunchy.

Mix pasta, vegetables and ricotta mix together. Serve immediately with crumb topping.

Trader Joes checklist: pasta ($1), broccoli rabe ($6 for two), ricotta ($4 or use leftover) and head of garlic ($0.50) = dinner for two for around $10!

Pear and Arugula Pizza

Modified from "Cooking Light" Pear and Prosciutto Pizza

I was actually more inspired by the photo than the actual recipe. I made this pizza and I couldn't stop thinking about it. It's a great vegetarian choice and a promo for Trader Joes.

1 bag prepared Trader Joes pizza dough for $1! (or homemade, do not use Pillsbury)
1 7-8 oz ricotta cheese (I have a new obsession with TJ's ricotta but reduced fat Sorrento is also good. Don't use fat free)
dried or fresh thyme leaves
minced garlic (from jar or crushed fresh)
1/2 red onion, chopped
1-2 Bartlett pears, cored and thinly sliced
4-5 oz arugula or baby spinach (about half a bag), lightly chopped
balsamic vinegar or vinegarette
finely shredded mozzarella, preferably TJ's goat mozz

Preheat oven to 450 and heat pizza stone, if using. If using store-bought dough let it sit out for 20 minutes or until room temperature. Saute' onion in oil and garlic until caramelized. Remove from pan and add tbsp more oil and pears. Saute' until slightly brown and softened. Flour counter surface with cornmeal and roll out pizza dough into thin crust. Move dough to pizza stone or cookie sheet and bake 5-8 minutes until mostly done. Let cool slightly; otherwise your ricotta will run.

Spread ricotta cheese onto dough and top with thyme leaves. Evenly spread sauted onions and pears. Top with greens, and sprinkle dressing and cheese. Bake for another 5-8 minutes or until cheese is browned to liking. If crust starts to burn but cheese is not melted lower temp to 400 or broil for a few minutes (do not leave kitchen if you choose to broil!). Serve with a white wine. It is ab fab!

Tips: Chopping greens keeps the pizza from being a tower when you put it in the oven. I simply pile my greens (I always prefer spinach for the iron and nutrients) and quickly chop with a butcher's knife. The greens will wilt when cooked so they are manageable to eat. Do no, do not use fat free cheese for this recipe. Trader Joes also has a great low-fat mozzarella you can use, but reduced fat and fat-free cheese do not melt well. It is better for you to use a higher-fat cheese and use more sparingly. This recipe was the first time I used to goat mozzarella and loved it. The flavor went perfect with the pear and spinach.

Win choices: I am one of those strange people who love dry, red wines but do not like the meals that standardly go with them i.e. red meat. However, I love chicken and fish dishes but do not prefer the lighter, sweet, white wines that are recommended. I say go with what you like! I did recommend a white for this dish because the greens and pear and white cheeses paired very well with the Chardonnay I had in stock.

Variations: for a non-vegetarian dish, add pancetta to pizza before baking. I have also seen versions with feta or blue cheese. The goat mozzarella is enough kick for me :)