Recipes for Baked Ravioli

I've never done a baked ravioli, but regarding the orange one I would look for a recipe for butternut squash lasagna, which is delicious. You could probably just use the white sauce from one of those recipes and do it like you would the others. Some hazelnuts on top is a delicious addition!

Here's how I would assemble a baked ravioli dish:

nstructions
Things You'll Need

Ravioli
Spaghetti sauce (26 oz. jar)
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Salad
Bread

1 Put a small amount of spaghetti sauce in a casserole dish.
2 Spread the ravioli on top of the sauce.
3 Cover the ravioli with the remainder of the spaghetti sauce.
4 Bake covered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
5 During the last ten minute of baking, sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.
6 Add a tossed salad and garlic bread to round out your meal.

Same with pesto, but you will use less and spread a light layer of EVOO in the bottom of the pan.

I love the squash raviolis, but they are a unique taste. I think cream sauces overwhelm the delicate squash. So I stick with a 1/2 butter, 1/2 EVOO and some chopped fresh parsely, S&P on top.

Our family favorite raviolis are the triangle spinach ones at Costco. That's a staple for us and can be made with red sauce, pesto sauce or the flavoring packet.

Then I would serve baked italian sausages on the side for protein. Or add browned meat or turkey to the red sauce.

GL!

If you're making your own ravioli either Mario Batali or www.foodtv.com is my go to source.

If you're combining premade ravioli and schtuff (what I do 90% of the time since I don't have a pasta roller, and rolling out dough by hand is above my ordinary patience level)

Green:

- Cheese stuffed (or cheese and poultry/poultry sausage) ravioli
- Jarred Pesto (my preference is almond based basil pesto) OR homemade pesto... easy on the pine nuts if you're using pine nuts. Restaurant trick is to use half or fewer the pine nuts for the nut base and half almond. Pine nuts are sooooo oily and overwhelming that one loses a lot of flavor of the food for both that dish and other courses (since the oil clings to your mouth.. yuck).
- Cherry tomatoes, whole poked with a spatula until they split while being fried with some sliced wafer thin or diced garlic. Just until aromatic. Tomatoes absorb the lovely garlic flavor without becoming mushy.
- Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated over the top.

Boil the pasta, drain out MOST of the water (leave about 1/4 cup), several big scoops of the pesto, stir (the little bit of pasta water turns the pesto into a sauce instead of just 'stuck to' the pasta). Sautee up the garlic and tomatoes while the pasta is boiling. Pour pasta into baking dish, pour over tomatoes, mix in, keep in fridge until ready to bake (no bake necessary if serving immediately, baking is just to reheat). If you want a creamy pesto, just pour in a little bit of cream as you're stirring in the pesto or drizzle over top of baking dish. Alternatively a bit of alfredo will thicken... but it will also make it a 'rib sticking' pasta. If using alfredo... heat up separately in sauce pan, add pesto to taste, pour over pasta.

Squash:

- Simply toss with butter &
- EITHER dry roasted pecans (just shake about in a dry saute pan until aromatic) OR (my favorite) crumbled wallnuts (not roasted).
- Sprinkle over brown sugar & crumbled bleu cheese. My favorite is a milder bleu with bacon overtones (Rogue Cremery: Smokey Bleu)
- Freshly grated Pecorino Romano

Red
I personally go for a nice bolognese WITH (about 1:3 alfredo:bolognese) alfredo generously drizzled over the top. Mmmm. Comfort food. Melty gooey awesomeness. If using a meat based ravioli, however, I'd stick with a lighter sauce combo. A simple marinara made with roma tomatoes, basil, garlic, onion, and white whine. If bolognese a nice zin or chianti, if marinara the same white used to make the sauce, chilled.

Any of these can be made 'baked'. Just pull the pasta out after cooking. Toss lightly w/ olive oil and let sit for a few hours to dry out. Then put in baking dish with EXTRA sauce, cover and bake @ 400 until warm, uncover for last 5-10 to crisp up the edges. Grate over cheese, sprinkle parsely or basil over red and squash ones, and serve. Goat cheese works LOVELY for both pesto or as an alternative to bleu for the squash.

small container of pesto
small container of heavy cream
1/2 bag of frozen peas
one rotisserie chicken shredded
one bag of frozen cheese-filled raviolis

mix together and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with parm and bake for another 15 until golden brown. So so tasty!