Ravioli Soup

I was searching through my freezer the other day looking for something totally unrelated to ravioli when I happened upon half of a bag of frozen ravioli. I thought....I really need to do something with this...and this soup was born. I love anything cheesy-noodle related so I was pretty excited to make this. You guys.....this soup will rock your socks! IT Guy LOVED it....I mean he L-O-V-E-D it! It didn't make a huge pot so I loved that part. We each had a couple of bowls then there was plenty to send for IT Guy's lunch the next day. This would be easy to double if you need to feed more people or like leftovers but is perfect for a small family. Super good.....super easy.....super duper!

Ravioli Soup



1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage or a combo
1 32-ounce container chicken stock
1 28-ounce jar pasta sauce
1 small onion ~ diced
1 green pepper ~ diced
1 -2 cloves garlic ~ minced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Frozen ravioli ~ (I used 1/2 of a 25-ounce bag)
Grated Parmesan cheese

In a large dutch oven, saute the bell pepper, onion and garlic for a few minutes.

Add the ground beef and cook until meat is done.

Add the chicken stock, pasta sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil then turn the heat to low.

Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Bring soup to a boil then add the frozen ravioli.

Cook until ravioli float to the top and are done, according to package directions.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.


 

Okay....let's make soup!

 

Saute the onion, bell pepper 

and garlic for a bit.

 

Then add the meat and cook until done.

 

Add the chicken stock, pasta 

sauce, and seasonings.

 

Simmer 30 minutes then 

add the frozen ravioli.

 

Cook until ravioli are done.

 

Serve with some grated parm 

and you're good to go!

Baked Ravioli

This dish is crazy easy and crazy good. If you enjoy cheesy pasta recipes and want something you can whip together in no time, then try this. Living with a carnivore like I do, I had to add meat to this...but if you want to cut back on the prep work, you can leave the meat out all together but still have a filling meal. It's simple to make as much or as little as you like...it freezes well after it's put together or you could make two at once and give one away. This would be great to serve for a potluck or a big family meal. Just add a salad and some bread and you're good to go!

Baked Ravioli



1 pound ground beef
1 small onion ~ diced
1 clove garlic ~ minced
2 1-pound packages frozen cheese ravioli
2 28-ounce jars pasta sauce
4 cups mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray and 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the ground beef and cook until done.

Add the sauce and stir through. 

Spread 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of the pan.

Add a layer of frozen ravioli then cover with some sauce.

Sprinkle with half the cheese and repeat ending with sauce and cheese on top.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes until hot and bubbly. 


 

Let's get going!

 

Saute the onion and garlic 

then add the ground beef.

 

Cook the meat until it's done 

then add the sauce and heat through.

 

Now..start layering!

 

A little sauce....some ravioli...

 

..more sauce...some cheese.

 

Just keep going until all the ingredients 

have been used, ending with cheese on top.

 

Bake it up!

 

Serve it up!

Ravioli with Creamy meat Sauce

Have you ever gone to your cupboard/pantry/freezer...pulled out a bunch of ingredients and started cooking with no plan in mind? Well..that's what happened to me yesterday and the following recipe was the result. It turned out pretty good. No..let me rephrase...it turned out STINKIN' good! We all loved it! A close second to Mexican food around here, Italian ranks right up there for us. I'll be making this again, no doubt!

Ravioli with Creamy Meat Sauce



2 14-ounce cans tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic
1 14-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
1 onion, diced
1 pound lean ground beef – cooked and drained
1 cup cream
Salt
Pepper
1 25-ounce bag frozen ravioli – cooked according to package directions and drained (2 bags would be better....but I only had one)

Dice the onion and cook with a little olive oil for a few minutes. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Stir in tomatoes and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cream and allow to heat through. Spoon sauce over cooked ravioli.

Serve with crusty bread

Let's get going!

 

Dice the onion and give it a quick 

cook with some olive oil.

 

Then add the ground beef 

and let that cook for a bit.

 

Add the tomatoes. If you'd rather use 

a can or two of crushed tomatoes instead, 

that would be fine. In fact, I used my food 

processor to finely chop the two cans of seasoned tomatoes.

 

Cook the meat/tomato mixture for a little while.

 

Then add the cream.

 

Cook your ravioli. I only had one 

25-ounce bag, but two would be better 

for the amount of sauce. And this stuff 

cooks quick once your water starts to boil! 

And no, I'm not too proud to use FROZEN 

ravioli! This IS supposed to be "simple fare." ;-)

 

Yum! Serve this over the ravioli for a quick dinner!

Homemade Ravioli

I can now cross something off my list. Homemade ravioli! Aside from the fact that I wish I had a pasta machine or at least an attachment for my Kitchenaid...it was really fun! But, whew! Did my arms get a workout!!! These turned out really good and with just a few basic ingredients, you can have a great meal in a short amount of time!

Homemade Ravioli

 
5 cups flour ~ allow a bit more for flouring
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons olive oil
Milk

Place flour in a large bowl and make a "well" in the center.

Beat the eggs, water and olive oil together.

Pour egg mixture into "well" and stir to combine.
If the mixture seems a bit on the dry side, add a few splashes of milk. 

Turn dough out onto a well floured board and knead for about 5 minutes.

Cover dough and allow to rest for about 30 minutes.
 

Here's the stuff for the ravioli. 

And milk...you MIGHT need that, too.

Put the flour in a large bowl 

and make a well in the center. 

Combine the eggs and the olive oil together.

Pour the egg mixture into the flour....

...and mix. I used my hand but 

you don't have to.

Cover the dough and allow it 

to rest for about 30 minutes.

Working with 1/4 of the 

dough at a time...

..and roll out to 1/16 of an inch. 

Trim off the uneven edges.

Filling

1 16-ounce container ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and set aside.

 

Combine the filling ingredients.

Like this!

Working with 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll out to 1/16 of an inch, keeping remaining dough covered. 

Place heaping teaspoonfuls of filling onto dough about an inch apart on half of the dough.
Brush between filling with water.
Fold dough over onto itself and press gently to seal.
 Cut between fillings with a pastry cutter.
Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Boil some water in a large stock pot.
Drop ravioli into the boiling water and allow to cook about 2 minutes. 

Serve with your favorite sauce....homemade or jarred!

Makes about 4 dozen.

Place heaping teaspoonfuls of 

the filling on half of a rolled 

out piece of dough. Brush between 

the filling and all around the edges with water.

Fold the dough over onto 

itself and press down.

Using a pastry cutter, cut between 

the mounds of filling.

Drop into boiling salted water 

and cook for 2 - 3 minutes.

Serve with your favorite sauce!

I had to go pantry pillaging the other day. I couldn't get out of the house to go to the store so I knew I had to rely on my mad culinary skills to pull me through. I scored when I found some Italian sausage and some ravioli in the freezer and some canned tomatoes in the pantry. A few staples thrown in and I had a winner!! And so easy!! That was the best part!

Skillet Ravioli with Italian 
Sausage and Spinach



1 pound Italian sausage ~ mild or spicy
1 small onion ~ diced
1 clove garlic ~ minced
1 pound frozen cheese ravioli
1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 cups baby spinach ~ torn
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook ravioli in boiling salted water until done. Set aside.

In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil until soft...about 5 minutes.

Add sausage and cook until done.

Add seasonings and stir.

Add the tomatoes and chicken stock and stir.

Add torn spinach and simmer for 20 minutes until spinach is wilted.

Add cooked ravioli and stir.

The cast of characters. My canned 

 tomatoes had garlic included so I left the fresh out.

Saute the onion and garlic until 

soft then add the sausage.

Brown the meat and and the seasonings.

Add the tomatoes and the chicken stock.

Add the torn spinach and allow 

the mixture to simmer until the spinach has wilted.

Then add the COOKED ravioli!

Sprinkle with some parm and eat!