I’m in big trouble.
Over the weekend, I hid up in the mountains 310 miles north of our house with the boys. My husband has taken a sledge hammer to our living room. We’re stuck in the 1950’s. With stucco. The perils of demolition expels a dust storm like no other and the obvious was to flee the wreckage. Luckily, my family was headed to Lake Placid for the weekend so we tagged along with them.
But displacement was the least of my problems.
At breakfast one morning in this beautiful- I have no business being here with 2 small children restaurant- my little Jake had something to tell us:
Mommy, you’re a pen@!s butt! Â Â
What?
OMG. Did he just call me a pen@!s butt… in a public place?
I shrank.
And it got worse. The torture dragged on in full volume everywhere we went.
Good morning Mommy pen@!s! Can I have some breakfast, pen@!s? You’re a pen@!s baby!
Not funny.
The disciplinary action has been challenging thus far and ongoing. So, I’ll pause from the potty words and my apparent mom failure to tell you about this new recipe-
It’s designed for busy people with no time to cook and for the uninspired who want good food fast.
Ravioli cook in a matter of minutes. The longest part is waiting for the water to boil. Mine are stuffed with Sicilian lemon zest and ricotta- doesn’t everything sound better with ricotta?
I think so (the fancy pants lemon zest sounds good too).
To that, I wilt handfuls of baby greens with sliced garlic. You can use any tender greens like baby spinach or kale.
It’s a true 15 minute meal.Â
Now, if anyone has any advice on how to deal with a 3 year old and his phallic vocabulary, I’m all ears.
(he even called the concierge a pen@!s butt, ok?)
Tips:
- You can find these specific ravioli at Trader Joe’s- they’re called Girasoli Ricotta + Lemon Zest. Girasole is sunflower in Italian. They do look like little sunflowers, don’t they?Â
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15 minute meals: lemon ricotta ravioli with wilted greens
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 2-4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 package of fresh lemon ricotta ravioli*
- 4 large handfuls of baby greens, spinach or kale
- 1 fat garlic clove, sliced
- 1 tsp. olive oil + more for drizzling
- salt + pepper
- parmesan cheese
* I used Trader Joe’s Girasoli Ricotta + Lemon Zest
* Recipe serves 2-3 hungry people or 4 people for a light bite.
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ravioli according to the package instructions. To drain the pasta, use a slotted spoon or scoop them out with a small strainer and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with oil oil to prevent sticking.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over moderate heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the greens by the handful, and toss gently with tongs as they wilt. Season with salt and pepper.
- To serve, potion the ravioli and greens onto plates and drizzle with extra olive oil.
- Garnish with parmesan cheese to taste.
Comments
Maria LaMalfa says
Oh no! I was going to make this for Easter – but just noticed the ravioli are not homemade. I was hoping you had a Meyer/Sicilian lemon ravioli recipe. Once I do find a lemon ravioli recipe, this looks like a good way to prepare. Would you have any amendment suggestions to your basic ravioli recipe that might approximate the TJ version? Thanks!
Jack says
Delicous! I made this for dinner tonight. I like how quick and easy it was, I love i that my wife and I both really liked it a lot. We will use this again as a way to dress ravioli up a bit. Thank you!
Laura says
Hello! Waw! Can I use the first photo for a quick facebook post about a sale on these pasta? We are a local Italian store in Belgium :) Thank you (Alital SPRL on Facebook if you want to check)
Rosalie says
Used this recipe as inspiration…added carmelized cauliflower to the wilted kale and arugula I had on hand. It was so delicious! Thanks Emilie
Nettie says
I wish I would have seen and read this today. I made these fantastic ravioli , but with traditional marinara sauce. Not. Big mistake. Worst thing you could ever do to these. Thank you for sharing the right ingredients. Sounds delicious.
vijee says
Loved it. Always thought any regular pasta sauce would ruin it. This was perfect!
Also the explanation of the word gira sol.
Shannon says
Yummy! I have that very package of ravioli in my refrigerator and was planning on making it for dinner tonight with a bright, baby green salad. I wasn’t sure if pesto was the way to go, or a light olive oil/garlic sauce. You have swayed me. This looks delicious.
Sidenote: LOVE your website. So, so beautiful. :) Thanks to the ol’ Google search, you’ve got a new follower.
Emilie says
Hi Shannon! That’s too funny! I absolutely love those ravioli- they have just the right amount of lemon (plus, you can’t go wrong with Trader Joe’s in my book). I hope your dinner was fabulous :) And thank you for the sweet comments! xo
Una says
Thank you! Just found these raviolis at TJ’s and think this recipe sounds simple and perfect. I’ll be making this tonight :)
Emilie says
Yes! They are the best. I always grab a pack when I’m at TJ’s. I hope you enjoy your meal tonight! :)
Judi says
I love these ravioli I serve with a lemoncillo sauce (some lemon juice, lemoncillo, butter and a little heavy cream) happy to see this with baby spinach….should be yummy, have the ravioli in fridge so presto – it’s tonight’s dinner!
Emilie Raffa says
Sounds absolutely delicious!
Carolena says
I will try this variation this I think will really bring out the lemon flavor
Emilie Raffa says
Enjoy!
Pamela Green says
Simple, hearty and seasonal! Yum!
Emilie says
You got that right! And quick! I think you will like this one, Pam :)
Laney (Ortensia Blu) says
Will definitely BOLT for the ravioli at Trader Joes…and I laughed out loud! At least he’s using his words…and he didn’t swear at the top of his lungs…yet.
Emilie says
Yet… that’s all I have to say ;) xoxo
Kelly says
This looks like a perfect school night meal. Thanks! Pinning now!
Emilie says
Welcome Kelly! If you’re short on time you will certainly appreciate this speedy meal for a busy school night. You can switch up the ingredients to suit your taste. The longest part is waiting for the water to boil! Enjoy and thanks for pinning! :)
Mrs Mulberry says
Lol, Emilie – you poor thing! Little kids always no when to turn on the charm don’t they! But this is a perfect mid week meal – I’ll be booking this one for after a long day in the office!!
Emilie says
Yes. Charm… that’s the perfect way to describe it! Little boys. They know how to get you every time. That’s why there’s wine and easy meals! Enjoy Ella! xx
Nicole says
My 5year old end most sentences with poop. Drives me crazy!!! He even makes up songs or replaces words in songs with poop.
Emilie says
Ah yes… strength in numbers. Why on earth do they do that?! And the more you pay attention to it, the more they say it, right? I love that he’s so musical about it. Must make you so proud lol… Thanks for sharing your story Nicole! ;)
kristie {birch and wild} says
Your photos are lovely. And your story is hilarious! This looks like the perfect, simple meal for a busy weeknight. I love the idea of the lemon zest. It adds such a lovely, fresh flavor.
Emilie says
Welcome Kristie! Thank you very much :) If you’re looking for something quick and easy, this is your next meal! You can sub any ravioli of your choice, tortellini even, but the lemon and ricotta combo is delicious. The greens wilt in a matter of seconds. Enjoy!
Nik@ABrownTable says
Haha, that is hilarious! Kid do say the darndest things, your facial reaction must have been priceless. I want to try and make my own pasta one day, need to check that off my list of things to do.This is such a gorgeous pasta recipe, wilted greens with lemon sounds wonderful.
Emilie says
They really do… I love how literal they can be, but man, when you’re in the wrong setting with all of the wrong words it’s utter embarrassment! We’ll get there. Definitely have a go at making your own pasta. I have a sneaky suspicion that you’d be wonderful at it. You can even freeze the dough in advance. Thanks for stopping by, Nik! :)
Patti says
First, you are a great Mom! Next, I leaving for Trader Joes after I hit submit, so I can make this tonight!!
Emilie says
I think I need more Patti Pep Talks… it’s getting worse! The Halloween candy didn’t help either :( Do you have a hotline yet? xx
dana says
Love these photos! Gorgeous! Especially the ravioli shot. Swoon!
Emilie says
Thank you love! It’s fun to photograph food that doesn’t move or melt… ;)
Celia Becker @ After Orange County says
I’m headed to Traders right now to pick up some of that yummy looking ravioli. So glad to hear about it. As for Pen in the ###!! toddlers, just wait. It gets even better with teenagers! Talk about pains in the ###!!!
Emilie says
I hope you like them Celia! They are very good and make for a super quick meal. As for parenthood, people tell me all the time that dealing with kids will get better with time. Until recently, I met a woman (4 boys) who candidly told me that it doesn’t get better… it becomes ‘different’. That’s a mom of boys for you. At least she tells it like it is!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I love lemon and ricotta, I have to look for these ravioli at TJ’s! Gorgeous!
Emilie says
You will love them Laura! I think they’re my favorite TJ’s ravioli yet, and I’m not just saying that. If you try them, let me know your thoughts ;)
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Penis butt?!?! BAHAHAHAHAHA I freaking love that story! I’m a 15 minute kind of gal (food-wise!!!! lol) for sure. NEED this recipe!
Emilie says
OK? I died. This is my life. Everyday. Asking people to babysit my kids is like asking them to hold hot coals. We’re working on changing his new vocabulary word(s) but it’s not smoothing over as quickly as I would like! Oh well. Enjoy the recipe Katrina!
Stephanie says
This is exactly the kind of recipe I need during the busy work week! Now that it is getting colder and darker earlier, I’ve been so unmotivated when I arrive home from work. A 15 minute meal sounds ideal! And these ravioli look delicious, I can’t wait to try :)
Emilie says
Welcome Stephanie! We could all use a little more time (I assume) and that’s why I make recipes like this! There’s minimal effort and thought involved, plus my brain can’t even function past 5pm. You get a little pasta, lots of greens and the clean up isn’t half bad either. I hope you enjoy the recipe and a stress free evening. Happy cooking!
The Blonde Chef says
I am dying over this gorgeous pasta! Seriously, so impressive. And I am 100% with you on the lemon ricotta train. YUM! (Also, died laughing over your cute son!)
Emilie says
Thank you SO much! You will never believe how incredibly easy this is. The lemon ricotta ravioli is new to me and one of the best surprises I’ve found yet. It was so delicious. Then again, I love everything ricotta. And my son? He’s crazy! ;)