I love meals that are fast, elegant enough to entertain with, and will free up needed pantry space. This dish fit the bill when I overbought on pesto for my son’s birthday. I kept thinking that the pesto would be fantastic mixed in a sauce. When I happened upon some chicken and cheese stuffed ravioli while perusing the wholesale club, I knew I would be able to whip something amazing up.
The flecks of green and foreign stuffing in the pasta would have been a turn off for many kids, but after a good five minutes of coaxing, the forks plunged into the dishes and quiet smacking was all that was heard the rest of the dinner hour ...
Well, that and the request for more “honey” for bread by the sweet voices gathered around the dinner table. Yes, my children believe olive oil is a common commodity, much like other children request ketchup for dipping. Oh, if I only had such a gourmet palate when I was a child, I know I would be destined to create great things in the kitchen. Let’s hope these extravagant luxuries can be endured on a teeny grocery budget.
Ravioli With Pesto Cream Sauce
1 pound fresh or frozen ravioli
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (we used skim milk)
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
1 1/2 cups grated Romano cheese
1 cup prepared pesto
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook as directed and drain.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and butter, and sauté until garlic is soft and fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Dissolve flour in milk, then stir in. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add cheese, and stir until melted. Stir in pesto.
4. Dish ravioli on plates and then drizzle the pesto cream sauce over it. Garnish with a little fresh basil or chopped parsley.
P.S. Be sure to serve with oodles of bread with “honey” for dipping for those gourmet palates!
Originally published on MomAdvice
