Sunday, August 09, 2009

Sun Dried Tomato Raviolis a la Summer

Sun Dried Tomato Raviolis a la SummerI don't know if I've yet conveyed my love of pasta. I LOVE the stuff--in any form and in any shape.

Well now, let me take that back because one time Andrew and I were at Marx Brothers' Cafe and they had squid ink pasta on the menu and it didn't really tempt me. Eew.

But besides the squid ink stuff I love pasta and this particular recipe got A+'s all the way around the table the other night. The only one who was less than enthusiastic was Grace because of the salad angle. She hates leaves in any form and the spinach, even though it wilts a bit under the warm noodles, still qualified as a salad in her book.

Oh and I made a double batch and it served six of us with enough left over for 2 more servings. So this should be enough to serve four I would think.

1 8 ounce jar of sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
16 ounces frozen ravioli (I used chicken and cheese filled)
4 cups baby spinach tossed
4 ounces goat cheese

Dump the jar of tomatoes, oil and all, into a food processor along with the minced garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and oil. Pulse it until it's chunky but combined.

Meanwhile, cut the cherry tomatoes in half and lay them face up on a cookie sheet and drizzle with a bit of olive oil over the top (generously). Bake them at 400 for about 15 minutes or until they appear to be done. Dump them into the processor, oil and all (this uses a bit of olive oil) and pulse them in too. Add the pine nuts.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, divide the spinach among four plates then top with cooked raviolis. Spread a generous amount of sauce over the top (or, if you prefer, you can toss the raviolis with the sauce in the warm stock pot after they've cooked and drained). Top with crumbled goat cheese and serve.

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16 comments:

Mrs. Ohtobe said...

That sounds good enough to make me give up my tomato phobia. Almost. ;)

Lori said...

That looks amazing!

Laura said...

I love sun dried tomatoes...YUM!

Alexi Frest said...

It must be fine... and healthy, too!

Inkling said...

this is now on my menu for this week....sounds YUM!

jean said...

This looks fantastic. Mouth watering. (minus the spinach, I'm with Grace)

A Girl said...

Awww, Alaska Coupon Diva is my sistah :)

Heather said...

Mmmmm! Michelle, will you come to Ohio and cook for me? Just once or twice a week. Please???? This looks AWESOME!

Michelle said...

Michelle this sounds so delicious adding it to later in the week for a meal.paired with a salad it sounds delicious.

Janet said...

I almost didn't make it past the squid ink.

I'll have to try this one - we love love love pasta.

Alison Kelley said...

This looks so great, on my recipe to do list, thanks!

J said...

That sounds heavenly. And like the sauce would be equally yummy on a non-stuffed pasta, if one were to choose. I have some artichoke ravioli in my freezer right now...maybe I'll make this sauce instead of the jar of sauce I was going to use. Yum! And so easy...

J said...

Oh, and I seem to remember trying squid ink pasta before. If I remember correctly, it's just fine. It's pasta that's treated with squid ink, so the pasta is black. It doesn't taste very different than regular pasta, and the sauce makes all the difference. :)

Lisa said...

This looks really good! I'm a strict recipe follower...so I have to ask, do you add the cooked cherry tomatoes to the already pulsed tomato mixture and pulse some more? Also, are the pine nuts pulsed or added on top? I really think this will be a big hit in my family.

Jena Webber said...

Ah the crowing jewel of the goat cheese! What a gourmet delight.

Inkling said...

I made this last night and it was a total hit. I did go ahead and decrease the evoo amount a bit, which made a thicker sauce, but it was still good. And now, I'm enjoying the leftovers for a late lunch. We didn't have any ravioli left, but I put some spinach, sauce, and parmesan cheese on a whole wheat bagel, popped it in the oven for about 10 minutes, and then topped with more fresh spinach and the tiny bit of goat cheese that was left. Amazing!

Thanks for sharing this recipe. It is definitely one that I'm making when my folks come to visit.