Friday, February 5, 2010

RAVIOLI LASAGNA


In order to make all of the recipes I've bookmarked from the incredible blogs I visit on a daily basis, I would have to live to be at least 150 years old...I'm just saying. Add those "must makes" to the recipes torn from magazines and newspapers and to those I've flagged in my ever-expanding cookbook collection and we might be talking 175.

I've seen recipes for lasagna made from pierogi and ravioli before, but none of them had been recommended by a reliable source or foodie friend. And then along came George of A Nod Is As Good As a Wink to a Blind Horse. When I read George's post about this dish and saw a picture of the result, I knew it was time to give it a try. The last time we had lasagna was Christmas and, while it was memorable, it took the better part of 3 days to make the spinach pasta, the Bolognese sauce, and the bechamel. The result was incredible and you may want to try it the next time you have company (recipe here), but if you're just in the mood for a quick and easy baked pasta that is sure to please, give this recipe a try and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Using George's recipe as a guideline, I tried to lighten the recipe a bit by making a smaller lasagna using whole wheat ravioli and part skim mozzarella. Be sure to check out George's wonderful blog. Not only does he have great recipes, but he gives a wonderful backstory to his food.

Serves 4-6
10 ww pts for 1/4 serving
1 (20 oz) pkg. whole wheat chicken and prosciutto ravioli (I used 4/5 of the package)
1 - 26 oz jar quality pasta sauce
1 pkg. shredded part skim mozzarella
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese


In a large pot, set 6 quarts of salted water on to boil.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the cheeses and the minced parsley and set aside.

Cook the ravioli according to package directions; drain and rinse.

To assemble: Coat an 8X8 inch baking dish with cooking spray and spoon a little sauce in the bottom. Place a single layer of ravioli in the pan, overlapping slightly; then top with a third of the remaining sauce and a third of the cheese/parsley mix. Repeat the ravioli/sauce/cheese layers, adding some additional grated cheese to the top layer, if you wish.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes, removing the foil for the last 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
********************************************
TASTE NOTES
The ravioli that I used were on the small side so they were difficult to overlap. I think the slice of lasagna would have held together better had I used larger ravioli. That said, we enjoyed our quick and easy lasagna very much. I am not a fan of ricotta cheese, so the mozzarella and grated cheese in between layers was very welcome. I used a jarred sauce and didn't add meat to my sauce as George did simply because I had chicken and prosciutto in the ravioli, but you could really tailor this dish to your own tastes. The recipe is definitely a keeper and I know this would go well at a covered dish affair.

13 comments:

  1. I thought George's version looked very tempting, but yours is gooeyer and has more sauce in it, so it's even better!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love the ravioli lasagna idea as well! So much easier and just as tasty as real lasagna.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Arlene, many thanks for your thoughtful comments about my blog. I have met so many wonderful creative people since I started it back in September and many have become friends like you.

    I am so glad you liked the ease that this ravioli recipe offers and made it your own with the type of ingredients you used. That is what serving recipes is all about ~ a guideline or suggestion. Back when I started cooking, there were so many ingredients that I was unfamiliar with or just did not like; so I would substitute those I did like. Thus making a dish my-way.

    This looks delicious and I agree that the additional sauce makes it even more tempting.

    Thanks again for the "nod"....

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yum! A ravioli lasagna sounds excellent!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ha ha,same here dear ...at the rate i bookmark truly....this is ravishing ravioli as i would love to call it...

    Wishing ya a rocking weekend...tc

    ReplyDelete
  6. Arlene, I am STARVING for this. My stomach is growling!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have always wanted to make this but feared it was so heavy...I love that you made it healthier! Now I can try it! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  8. It is dinner hour and I'd rather be eating this tonight than the leftovers we are going to have..lol!

    I've made ravioli lasagna when time was of the essence..nice and easy and so good!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ravioli .... oh how I love thee.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is pretty healthy than any other lasagnas. I like it so much. Thanks for this.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Looks totally wonderful! What a fabulous idea for a dish.

    Hope you are having a great time on your trip!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ravioli lasagna is a fantastic idea! I have to try this soon!!!!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting The Food of Love. I know it takes time to make a comment, but please know that they are very much appreciated.