Ravioli Salad with Tomatoes and Basil

Since summer is right around the corner, and it will quickly be too hot to make anything that requires the oven, we are beginning to remember all of our favorite salads.  This is a ravioli salad, from my friend Tracy, that is hearty enough for any dinner.  It can be served with pasta right out of the water or at room temperature.

This time of year the tomatoes are out of this world.  This dish is so, so good!  A perfect combination of flavors and textures.

1 pound (500g) fresh ravioli (or tortellini)

1 pkg. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

1/2 C. of your favorite olive (which you'll notice I omitted)

3 T. capers, rinsed

1/4 C. olive oil

lots of basil, torn (a couple of handfuls)

red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

Put tomatoes and artichokes into a large bowl.  Add the basil, olives, capers and oil.  Toss well.  Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain.  Immediately add to the bowl and toss gently with a spatula.  Add salt, pepper and vinegar to taste.

Zucca Ravioli con Cannella e Zucchero

This recipe is probably not one that can easily be made in the States, as I have never seen fresh pumpkin ravioli there. But this is one of my new favorite dishes.  If you ever happen to stumble upon them, or if one day you're feeling incredibly adventurous and want to attempt to hand make them (not hard, just time consuming), this is an absolutely delightful way to eat pumpkin ravioli.

500 grams (or 1 pound) fresh pumkin ravioli

1 T. butter

cinnamon and sugar

Boil pasta as directed.  When done, drain and put back into cooking pot, adding the butter to keep pasta from sticking.  Serve immediately on plates or in bowls, generously sprinkling cinnamon and sugar on top. 

Personally, it took me exactly 7 minutes from putting the ravioli into boil to serving it plated on the table. Delicious AND incredibly easy.  Does it get better than that?

Strawberries with Marscapone

Obviously, we don't know what will one day be served at the Great Wedding Feast, when eternity is finally ushered in.  But I'm betting that this little combination has to be in the running.  It is absolutely divine.  And ridiculously simple.

Strawberries, rinsed with stems still attached
1/2 C. marscapone cheese
2 T. milk or cream
1 C. powdered sugar

In a bowl, combine the marscapone, milk and 3 T. powdered sugar.  Mix well, adding a little more milk if it's too thick to stick to strawberry when dipped.

Serve family style.  Hold the strawberry by the stem.  Dip it into the marscapone mixture, then dip it into the powdered sugar, rolling it around to cover well.  Then take a bit of bliss!  Repeat.

Feta Pasta Salad

I hesitated on whether or not to post this recipe, as it's not exactly an "authentic" Italian dish.  But it was really, really tasty, and 'tis the season for pasta salads!  It comes from The Pioneer Woman.  If you haven't already spent hours pouring over www.thepioneerwoman.com, carve out some time today.  It might change your life.

1 pound short pasta (farfalle, penne, etc)
2 T. olive oil
1 whole lemon (more to taste)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1-2 zucchini, sliced and cut into quarters
10 oz. grape tomatoes, halved lenthwise
6 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Cook pasta to al dente--I threw the zucchini in for the last two minutes--and rinse with cold water until completely cooled.  In a large bowl, dump the pasta and then drizzle with the olive oil.  Squeeze the lemon juice in and mix well.  Salt and pepper liberally (a lot of salt!).  Add the tomatoes and feta and mix it up again, adding more lemon and salt, if desired.  Serve cold.