This is a recipe for people who don’t feel particularly adventurous when it comes to cooking. Foolproof and scrumptious, this arugula ravioli will take your store-bought pasta from “meh” to “yum!”
Simple to prepare and nice enough to impress a date with, this recipe is your delectably easy answer to turning a humble meal into a delicious dinner.
Arugula has a subtle, peppery flavor that marries wonderfully with pecorino cheese. If you’re not a fan of this leafy green, it can be easily substituted with baby spinach leaves and an extra sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.
Ingredients
1-lb package of premade cheese or spinach ravioli
5 cups arugula (approximately one 5-oz package), loosely packed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, diced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup pecorino cheese, shaved
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Red wine vinegar is an essential ingredient for balancing this dish’s flavor profile. Its delicate sweetness keeps this dish fresh without being sour, so try to avoid substituting other, more biting vinegars.
The only way to mess up this recipe is with poor timing. Try to prepare the other
ingredients beforehand so they will be ready to fry up simultaneously with the cooking ravioli.
You’ll want to prepare this food right as your guests arrive: If the pasta is sitting around it will do the flavor no favors. Overcooked ravioli will flop and fall apart, so as long as you can keep those suckers al dente, you’ll have yourself a delightful dish.
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Mince garlic and dice shallots, then combine with salt and set aside. Boil ravioli to package directions, usually around 7 to 9 minutes, until al dente.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat and saute shallots, garlic and salt around 3 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Remove pan from heat and stir in mustard, vinegar and
black pepper.
Drain ravioli completely, then toss in a large bowl with garlic-shallot dressing and arugula. Sprinkle with pecorino shavings and serve with a warm baguette.