July 13 – July 17, 2024

Thursday:                Skillet Chicken Thighs with Schmaltzy Tomatoes

Saturday:                Alta Via after Mass

Sunday:                   Pizza with Grilled Corn, Cherry Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Monday:                  Lamb Burgers with Cucumber-Peach-Burrata Salad

Tuesday:                  Basil and Ricotta Ravioli with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Wednesday:          BLTs with Tuscan Bean Soup

Beyond Chef Boy-ar-dee

I won’t deny eating my fair share of canned mini-raviolis for lunch back in the day.  My mother had 5 ravenous boys and one ravenous man and herself to feed, clothe, drive to practice, get to Mass, nurse, defend, coddle and encourage.  She did not have time to think about menus and ingredients and to cook in a leisurely manner.

I, on the other hand, can speculate endlessly about ingredients and menus in the long stretches between doctor’s appointments, putting out the garbage and tee times. It is also true that I have the leeway to cook in a non-punctual manner that sometimes has us eating dinner at 7:00, sometimes at 8:30 or 9:00.  I loved my mother and what she cooked, and, though I no longer eat Boyardee* at lunch, I love ravioli at dinner time. Still, I will never be one of those crisply white-capped and aproned women covered with flour and holding those Italian rolling pins that look like large dowels whom you see in every magazine story about making your own pasta. I’ve made my own pasta from time to time, but I’ve reached the age where I have firmly decided “basta” to making pasta.

*The name was spelled this way because the entrepreneur who started producing canned pasta – Ettore Boiardi, former head chef at the Plaza Hotel, thought he should help Americans to pronounce his name correctly. This was in 1920 and I think he made a wise choice.

But while I no longer make pasta, we love the dish and some of the finest meals we have had involve ravioli (large, not mini) in various delicious sauces. And I was feeling the need for ravioli this past Tuesday along with the need to avoid becoming at Italian grandmother and so I took some shortcuts, and you can too.  And Billy and Beez could not stop talking about how good the dinner was, and I, of course, am a sucker for compliments on my cooking and, hey, if you’re as needy as I am, here’s a great recipe (below).  And if you’re not as needy as I am, the recipe below is still great and I will be disappointed if you don’t try it.  [I will also be disappointed if, after you try it, you don’t post a comment on this blog about how great it was.]

The short-cuts that will allow you to put this recipe on the table by 7:30, even as you drink a cocktail and watch snippets of Jeopardy! on the television are:

1. Buy frozen or refrigerated, pre-made ravioli.pIn Pittsburgh, Leonard Labriola’s markets produce wonderful frozen raviolis with a variety of fillings.  [In the 1920’s Leonard might have been tempted to call his market Lab-ree-oh-las.]  And most supermarkets now carry refrigerated pastas, including ravioli.
2. Buy a marinara that you like, add a little ricotta for extra richness and creaminess, heat it up as the ravioli cooks and you’ve got a delicious meal in no time.  [Trader Joe’s marinara is inexpensive and very good.  Rao’s is expensive and very good.  Just use your own favorite.]

It only remains to drain the ravioli and plate them in the creamy marinara and then dress them with some grated parmigiano and basil.  This won’t quite match the pasta at Alta Via (see the listing for ‘Saturday’ above) – I encourage you to go there), but it will come a damn sight closer than Chef Boyardee.

Basil and Ricotta Ravioli with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Timing:                                             15-20 minutes

Ingredients:                                       Serves 6-8

Store-bought frozen or refrigerated ravioli – enough for 6 people.  Note:  If you buy from Labriola’s, you’ll get 12 large ravioli in a pack.  2 packs will feed 6 or more.  Keep these in the freezer until ready to cook.

Large jar of marinara sauce (we used Trader Joe’s)

Grated parmigiano and basil leaves for serving

Prep:

Heat water in 2 large pots until boiling.  Grate Cheese.

Cook:

Put ravioli into boiling water, stir occasionally to make sure the ravioli do not stick to the bottom of the pan, and cook until they rise to the top.  Then remove and put on a plate until assembly.

While the water is coming to the boil, heat marinara and add ½ cup of ricotta to make richer and creamier.  Add pasta water, if needed, to thin.

Assemble and Serve:

Spoon a circle of marinara sauce onto heated plate.  Top with 3 large ravioli (or more smaller ravioli).  Spoon a bit more sauce over the ravioli and sprinkle with grated parmigiano and top with torn basil leaves.  Mange.