A Quick and Tasty Pasta Dish

Recently I have managed to catch several of Giada and Ina’s shows on the Food Network. I really haven’t seen either of them in a while, so I really enjoyed seeing what they were cooking. Giada had one episode for quick and easy meals for a busy day. Well, Russ and I have lately wanted to eat at home more and I am always looking for a quick, easy, and tasty new meal. She made a one-dish meal of Ravioli with Arugula, Tomatoes, and Pancetta. I decided to make it the next night since I knew I had a lot to do during the day and wouldn’t have a lot of time for cooking that night.

To make the pasta dish you start by slicing the pancetta into small pieces and frying it in a skillet until it is crispy. Once it is done drain it onto a plate with paper towels. Meanwhile start the water for cooking the pasta and add the ravioli once it has come to a boil (I always salt my pasta water). Next add olive oil and the tomatoes (which are drained). I also added a couple cloves of diced fresh garlic. Then add the basil and arugula. The grocery store didn’t have just arugula, so I went with baby spinach instead. Gently toss the spinach as it wilts, so that it mixes in with everything else. Next add salt, pepper, and butter. Once it has all cooked together for a few minutes add the pancetta back in and then the cooked ravioli. Add a little more butter and carefully toss the pasta into the tomato / arugula mixture. Serve immediately.

This was a very simple and quick meal to put together. It only has a few ingredients yet the flavor is fantastic. It really exceeded my expectations. I told Russ that I obviously thought it would be good (or I wouldn’t have tried it), but I certainly had not thought it would be as flavorful as it turned out to be. I love the combination of spinach, tomatoes, and basil. We also both enjoyed the cheese ravioli which I haven’t bought since I was in graduate school. I also imagine that if you have children you could serve them some of the ravioli with just the tomatoes or with just Parmesan cheese on top if they are not interested in the spinach etc. All in all this was a tasty dish that will definitely be repeated in our house. Russ rates it an 8. (The picture of Cash is from the beach earlier this summer. He is a beach bum!)