Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Recipe Test #7

The recipe we tested tonight came from Melissa (of Piperizms). It came with no name, so it shall henceforth be referred to as "Piper Ravioli," unless Melissa objects. Piper is Melissa's almost two-year-old daughter who also happens to be a big fan of this dish.

Piper Ravioli

Saute 1 small onion chopped with 2 cloves of garlic minced in olive oil for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add 10 oz cubed butternut squash (I buy a package of pre-cut at Giant and just cut to uniform size) and saute until onions are golden and butternut squash is browned and tender, about 10-15 minutes. Sometimes I add a lid to help the squash steam a little and then take the lid off to brown them up. Add a handful of chopped fresh sage and stir. Meanwhile, cook a 20 oz/family size package of fresh cheese ravioli according to package directions; drain and return to pan. Add butternut squash mixture to ravioli and add 3 Tbs butter, 1/4 cup sliced almonds and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese, a generous sprinkle of balsamic vinegar (do not skip this! it is sets off the dish perfectly!!!) and a few more almonds.

Piper Ravioli is YUM! It has three things that I love in food: pasta, nuts, and vinegar. It's nice to have another way to eat pasta without the tried and sometimes tired red sauce. I felt like quite the chef for having made this dish, and if my children weren't sitting near me talking with their mouths full, trying to sit on my lap and eat my food instead of their own, and generally being distracting, I could have imagined myself sitting in a fancy restaurant eating this. The kids loved it, both eating their entire portions. Alexander said, "I like this so much I want to eat it every night when it's time for dinner." Justin was also impressed, even though his portion sat in the microwave for an hour and a half while he sat in traffic. Thanks, Missy! This one's got it's dukes up.

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