Cheese ravioli topped with pesto made from fresh baby spinach, garlic, pine nuts and Asiago cheese.
If you're looking for a quick, easy weeknight meal, then this Ravioli with Spinach Pesto is it! As a kid, I'd spend an entire day at my father and step mother's home making homemade ravioli for Christmas each year and it was definitely a "labor of love".
The house would be buzzing with lots of noise; mainly laughter, as one person would be mixing the dough and another would be rolling out the dough using an old wooden closet rod that had been passed down from generations.
Usually it was my dad and grandfather that would take turns as it's a very stiff dough and hard to roll out. Then the rest of us would make the filling, fill, cut and seal the ravioli and place in cornmeal lined shirt boxes so that we could freeze them for the special day.
The last time I made homemade ravioli was when my husband when we first got married. We were living in our townhouse and it was the blizzard of 1995.
My oldest and best friend Barbara and I lived in the same town house community. So during a snow storm, we pooled our resources together and made ravioli to keep us busy. We spent the day making several different varieties; then treated our new husbands to an Italian feast.
Some of our other favorite recipes are Ravioli with Pumpkin Sage Cream Sauce and Ravioli with Asparagus in a Pink Cream Sauce
What are ravioli?
Ravioli is a type of Italian filled pasta made by creating a filling inside two layers of egg pasta dough; then sealed shut. You can fill it with just about anything you wish, but the most popular are cheese filled.
Since today is National Ravioli Day, I thought I'd share this quick and easy Ravioli with Spinach Pesto recipe.
How do you make Ravioli with Spinach Pesto?
For this recipe you'll need ravioli, spinach, parsley, pine nuts, garlic, shredded Asiago cheese, EVOO, salt and pepper. Add water and salt to a large pot and bring to a boil.
Slowly drop in the ravioli and cook until they start to float to the top. Times may vary depending on whether you're using fresh or frozen ravioli.
While the water is boiling, you can make the spinach pesto. Add the spinach, parsley, pine nuts, garlic and cheese to a food processor and blend.
Gradually add the oil and pulse until smooth. Stop the machine in the middle to scrape down the sides. Makes ¾ cup. You can also make this ahead of time and freeze in an airtight container until you're ready to use.
Remove ravioli with a slotted spoon and place in a serving bowl. Add the pesto and toss to coat. You can serve this Spinach Ravioli with a tossed salad and you'll have a tasty meal your family will love in minutes.
Spinach Pesto is so easy to make and adds a nice, fresh flavor to pastas, meat or chicken. ~Enjoy!
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Ravioli with Spinach Pesto
Ingredients
For the Ravioli
- 24- (1-ounce) cheese ravioli
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup Prepared Spinach Pesto
For the Spinach Pesto
- 2 cups fresh spinach, rinsed, stems removed, firmly packed
- ¼ cup fresh parsley rinsed, stems removed, firmly packed
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup shredded Asiago cheese
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
For the Ravioli
- Add water and salt to a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Slowly drop in the ravioli and cook until they start to float to the top. Times may vary depending on whether you're using fresh or frozen ravioli.
- Remove ravioli with a slotted spoon and place in a serving bowl.
- Add the pesto and mix well.
For the Spinach Pesto
- Add the spinach, parsley, pine nuts, garlic and cheese to a food processor and blend.
- Gradually add the oil and pulse until smooth. Stop the machine in the middle to scrape down the sides. Makes ¾ cup. (You can also make this ahead of time and freeze in an airtight container until you're ready to use).
Nutrition
Foodie Stuntman says
Be sure to toast your pine nuts. It'll give your pesto another dimension of flavor.
Kirsten Madaus says
Carrie,
I'm blown away but the world of pesto I've learned about since blogging about food. I already knew about basil and arugula pestos, but now cherry tomato, and kale, and even spinach! Awesome.
We had shamrock-shaped Irish cheese-filled ravioli for St Patrick's day (picked it up at Costco). I baked them, though, after coating in a Greek yogurt/pesto mixture and dipping in breadcrumbs. Yum!
I love ravioli! Thanks for a new idea for it!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Oh that sounds great Kirsten!
Lizzy Jones says
I just finished making this. I made a few adjustments just so I could use the items I had on hand. I used almonds and basil instead of parsley and pine nuts...i also added 1/2 lemon with its zest, plus cayenne pepper. Wow...who ever thought you could use spinach?! The color is wonderful, and the lemon makes it very fresh. Truly delicious. Thank you!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
I'm so glad I inspired you to experiment with what you had at home. Your variation sounds incredible and you're right, the spinach does make a wonderful pesto. Thanks for stopping by to let me know!