A little of this, a pinch of that — that's not my cooking stye.
I'm a by-the-numbers type of cook, always with my 30-year-old Fannie Farmer cookbook or Epicurious recipe by my side. That's why we need home printers, right?
But a good friend recently showed me how to make this dish off the cuff, and I've since tested it a few times to get the ingredient amounts just right. We use ready-made ravioli — which could be considered cheating, I suppose — but it's good stuff.
So here’s a quick, easy recipe that uses some superstars of the summer garden — plus some holdovers from spring such as onions and garlic — in a fresh and light pasta dish.
Be sure to use your home-gown or farmers market tomatoes for this dish. That supermarket taste just won’t do.
Serve it with a salad for a light meal or as a side dish.
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Ingredients:
- 8 ounces fresh ravioli* (cooked al dente)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup organic, high-quality olive oil
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes or sliced cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup zucchini, diced (optional)
- 1-2 links of chicken or pork sausage, cooked and sliced (optional)
- ¼ cup basil chiffonade
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
- Grated Parmesan cheese to taste
- Sea salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste.
If using zucchini, slice thinly and sauté in olive oil for 5-10 minutes till soft. While the ravioli is boiling, add the garlic and onion to the sauté pan and cook until translucent. Add the cooked sausage if using.
Turn the heat on low, toss in the tomatoes and gently heat through.
When the ravioli is almost done cooking, drain but reserve some of the hot water. Toss the pasta into the sauté pan with the veggies, add the reserved pasta water and stir gently for a minute or two to blend the flavors.
Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Top with basil chiffonade and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve with a baguette or garlic bread.
*Trader Joe’s carries several types of fresh ravioli (about 8 ounces) for about $3.50. Serves 2.