Sun Dried Tomato, Spinach, Cheese Ravioli

Oh pasta, how I love thee :)

If there was one food I was forced to eat for the rest of my life it would be pasta.

And lots of it.

I had some fun in the kitchen the other night whipping up a batch of homemade ravioli, making up the recipe as I went.

If you are weary of making homemade pasta, don't worry! This recipe takes shortcuts (hello, wonton papers) and it's not all that time consuming! Promise!

Happy cooking my Italian chefs!

Prep: 25-30 minutes | Cook: 2-3 minutes | Yield: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

1 package prepared wonton papers (40-45)

12 ounces ricotta cheese

1/3 cup finely chopped or grated parmesan cheese

1/3 cup bread crumbs

5-6 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups spinach

2 tablespoons basil, finely chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

juice of half a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Chop basil, sundried tomatoes and parmesan cheese. Set the basil and sundried tomatoes aside. Throw the chopped garlic and olive oil in a pan on medium heat. After garlic begins to sizzle a bit, throw the spinach in and sautee for about 2 minutes, or until leaves begin to wilt. Remove spinach mixture from heat place and place on a cutting board. Finely chop spinach and garlic mixture. Place mixture in a large bowl.

Add the chopped basil, sundried tomatoes, ricotta cheese, juice of half a lemon, breadcrumbs, parsley, and garlic powder to the large bowl and mix! Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Place a large pot of salted water on the stove and set to boil! Now it's time to fold!

Lay the wonton papers flat on a dry surface so that they are faced towards you in the shape of a diamond. Place a generous amount of cheese mixture in the center of each wonton paper. Dip your finger in water and line the bottom edges in water. Fold the ravioli over so that the two edges you moistened meet the two edges that you did not moisten. Use your fingers to press the triangle together, making sure that the edges are well sealed. Grab the farthest points of the wonton papers and bring them together in the center...kind of like you are folding the "arms" of the ravioli. Use a bit of water to seal the arms together. repeat several dozen times :)

Ravioli can be cooked immediately after the folding party is complete! Cook in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain and serve the ravioli however you like. I tossed mine with olive oil and more parmesan cheese. You can also toss with a spicy tomato sauce or pesto sauce. Yumm! 

Ravioli can also be placed in the freezer, in a single layer until frozen. Once frozen, place in a plastic bag until ready to eat. Cook in salted boiling water for 7-9 minutes.