Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream

From: Here

Ingredients:
1 20-oz pkg refrigerated 4-cheese ravioli (or tortellini)
1 16-oz jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce
2 Tbsp white wine
2 medium-size fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar; cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup chopped basil, and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta, and top evenly with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Okay, this is NOT a pretty picture - I do realize that. I remembered when the stuff was half gone that I was supposed to take a picture!! I did make some changes to the recipe. I absolutely could not find sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce (they said they used Classico) so instead I substituted Bertolli's vodka sauce. I didn't have any white wine so I needed to substitute that. I wondered about white wine vinegar but thought it might disagree with the sauce?? Anyway, I ended up adding a little vodka to the sauce jar, shaking it, and stirring that mixture in. I'm not really sure what the point of that step in the recipe is, actually. I used canned tomatoes instead of fresh (gasp!) and I did use some dried basil. When I got to my mom's house for lunch, we went straight out to the garden and cut some fresh basil though, so that was delicious. I would definitely recommend this recipe. If I can find the sun-dried Alfredo I would absolutely try that because I'm sure it would be awesome.

I am posting this on Mommin' It Up's Pin for the Wednesdays!

Ravioli and Cheese Bake

From: Kraft website

Ingredients:
16 oz spaghetti sauce
14 1/2 oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained
10 oz can beef broth
1/4 cup Italian dressing
2 9-oz packages refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Heat oven to 375. Combine first 4 ingredients in a 13x9 baking dish. Add ravioli, toss to coat. Cover. Bake 50 minutes or until ravioli is tender. Top with cheese; let stand 5 minutes or until melted. Sprinkle with basil.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used 1 package of 13-ounce frozen ravioli instead of the refrigerated ravioli. Much cheaper.

What I'll do differently next time:
I'd like to try it with small ravioli (I used really large ravioli) or tortellini, just because I like the really small pasta like that but not to change the taste.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! What an easy recipe to throw together! It was really delicious and my house smelled incredible while it was cooking too. Not many leftovers for this recipe!

Butternut Squash Soup with Ravioli

From: Better Homes and Gardens breast cancer cookbook

Ingredients:
2 lbs butternut squash
2 14-oz cans vegetable broth
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 Tbsp butter
1 9-oz package refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli
1 Tbsp molasses

Peel squash. Halve lengthwise. Remove seeds and discard. Cut squash into 3/4-inch pieces. In a large saucepan combine 1/2 cup water, squash, vegetable broth, and red pepper. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Transfer one-fourth of the squash mixture to a blender container or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Repeat with remaining portions, one at a time, until all of the mixture is blended. Return blended mixture to the saucepan. Bring just to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add butter; stir until just melted. Meanwhile, prepare the ravioli according to package directions; drain.

Ladle hot soup into bowls. Divide cooked ravioli among the bowls. Drizzle with molasses.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I don't know how much 2 lbs of butternut squash is but I just used one squash. Also, instead of cooking the ravioli separately I just tossed it in during the last 3-5 minutes of cooking.

What I'll do differently next time:
Not sure.

Verdict:
Neutral. This soup turned out to be very sweet. The ravioli definitely helps cut down on the sweetness but I wouldn't add any more than what the recipe calls for.

Printable version:

Ingredients:
2 lbs butternut squash
2 14-oz cans vegetable broth
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 Tbsp butter
1 9-oz package refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli
1 Tbsp molasses

Peel squash. Halve lengthwise. Remove seeds and discard. Cut squash into 3/4-inch pieces. In a large saucepan combine 1/2 cup water, squash, vegetable broth, and red pepper. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Transfer one-fourth of the squash mixture to a blender container or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Repeat with remaining portions, one at a time, until all of the mixture is blended. Return blended mixture to the saucepan. Bring just to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add butter; stir until just melted. Meanwhile, prepare the ravioli according to package directions; drain. Ladle hot soup into bowls. Divide cooked ravioli among the bowls. Drizzle with molasses.

Speedy Ravioli Bake

Easiest pasta you'll ever make!!

Ingredients:
2 9-oz packages of cheese-filled ravioli
1 26 oz jar of chunky tomato pasta sauce
1 tsp dried basil leaves
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saucepan cook the ravioli as directed on package. Drain and set aside.

In the same saucepan, mix the pasta sauce and basil. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring, until heated. Stir in cooked ravioli. Or if you're like me, after you drain the ravioli, just don't move it out of the saucepan and dump the sauce and basil right on in there. Saves a step.

Pour into an ungreased 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle cheese over the top.

Bake uncovered around 10 minutes or until it's bubbly and the cheese has melted.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I guesstimated on the amount of ravioli, basil, and cheese. I think I did more ravioli than the recipe called for, but they were small, unlike the picture in the cookbook. I probably did more cheese, because I'm a cheese fanatic.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing - I'll do it exactly this way the next time I make it.

Verdict:
Thumbs up!! Between four of us, this pasta was eaten almost entirely in one sitting. And truthfully, I would have finished it off except my sister had her baby that day and I wanted to get to the hospital! This is one of the easiest recipes I've ever done. And so good!