So Many Dishes

I admit it, I’m a Pinterest junkie. I’m not as bad as I used to be; I can go weeks without opening the app. I think what fueled my addiction was having two fantastic student teachers the last two years that I was teaching. As they took over more of the teaching load, and I worried and critiqued less and less, I found myself with little to do. Consequently, I created a number of boards, many of them food-related, and pinned countless recipes, among other things. Now, I have several travel-themed boards, a couple for gardens, and DIY ideas that I’ll never try. Since our trips to England, I even have a board that’s pictures of sheep—they’re so cute! (Experience has taught me to look down always when walking through a field where they’ve been grazing, but I digress).

Despite pinning probably thousands of recipes over the years, I rarely think to look at my boards for menu ideas. That wasn’t the case this time. I had Pinterest open on my Kindle a couple weeks ago, probably while watching a football game that didn’t involve one of our teams, when I came across a recipe for ravioli with artichokes, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and capers. It ticked a lot of boxes, so I pinned it, but described it to Ken as I was doing so. I promptly forgot about it, but he remembered, and mentioned it when we were putting our menu together this week. We added it, I cooked it last night, and it’s a winner.

There aren’t many ingredients other than the ones listed in the title. It’s quick to put together, but really an elegant entree. I made only a couple of minor adjustments to the recipe as written. It calls for one cup of artichoke hearts, chopped. I decided to use the full can, after draining. Additionally, when the cooked ravioli are added to the vegetable mixture at the end, it calls for adding another tablespoon of olive oil (you start out by cooking some of the veggies in two tablespoons of oil). For this late addition, I used the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. It added so much flavor, I wouldn’t do it differently.

The recipe is from TheItalianAmericanPage.com

Italian Ravioli with Spinach, Artichokes, Capers, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

• 1 package frozen cheese ravioli
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1 tablespoon oil from sun-dried tomatoes
• Parmesan cheese for serving

Cook the ravioli according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

While ravioli are cooking, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for one minute. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped artichokes, capers, and Italian seasoning. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the fresh spinach and continue cooking and stirring until the spinach wilts.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the cooked ravioli, along with 1 tablespoon of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Stir to combine everything well. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.

Serve, topped with grated or shredded Parmesan. Makes 4 servings.

Happy eating!