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
