Spinach Ravioli Alfredo

Most days I try not to eat carbs so when I do make pasta I like to be creative. This has become one of my favorites with spinach ravioli so I decided to be a little daring. Instead of just ravioli I made it a meal. I made it with fresh spinach sautéed in garlic and oil, added some cooked farfalle and then gave it a splash of Alfredo. Let me tell you step by step if you would like to try this. It took me 30 minutes which means you can have a delicious dinner without spending hours in the kitchen.

1. In a large skillet, cook chopped spinach with olive oil and crushed garlic. I used frozen spinach and cooked in the microwave for about five minutes before putting it in the pan. I cooked chopped garlic and oil and then added spinach, tossing around so all spinach received some oil. As I was sautéing the spinach I added some garlic powder and a dash of Parmesan cheese.

2. While spinach is sautéing, boil water for pasta. If you are using ravioli, add a drop of olive oil to water as well as salt, to avoid sticking. Remember after boiling, raviolis should only cook around 4-5 minutes. Personally, I prefer spinach ravioli but that is up to you, This dish can be made with meat or cheese ravioli. ( I am not sure about lobster ravioli — it is all about personal taste.)

3. With this recipe, I decided to add some farfalle (about 1/4 pound) that I already made separately. Remember that farfalle takes about 8-10 minutes to cook , so its a must that you boil and cook them separately. When I was making this particular dish, I had boiled farfalle for a pasta salad and just kept some aside with a tinge of olive oil so it didn’t stick. I had the farfalle in the refrigerator so I made sure to add it to the spinach sauté while the ravioli water was boiling. (It gives you something to do while endlessly waiting for the water to boil).

4. After water boils for ravioli, watch carefully and do not overcook. I usually cook for 4 minutes and you can see ravioli rising to the top. That means they are ready ! Drain carefully and carefully add to your skillet. Add more olive oil and a little more garlic powder. Mix all together—ravioli, farfalle and spinach sauté, stirring often.

5. After a few minutes add about 4 tablespoons of Rao’s Alfredo sauce (that’s what I add to make it medium creamy). You can add less or more according to your preference. Keep stirring in until the sauce is blended on the spinach and both pastas. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and continue to mix in. You should keep this going in skillet for just a few minutes. Your goal is for all ingredients to touch pasta and spinach. You do not want to overcook the pasta. If you want to add some Alfredo or olive oil you can. I do not like a very liquidy sauce but if you do feel free to experiment until the consistency is the way you like it.

6. Put contents of skillet in a serving bowl and serve with some Parmesan cheese on top (or on the side if you prefer). Enjoy this delicious and light Alfredo dish.

There are many sides you can add to your Alfredo meal. Remember that this is a hearty dish so I would recommend a light side dish. We added a side salad of lettuce and tomatoes. You can also try a Caesars salad which compliments the flavors of the Alfredo and spinach dish. Of course, having a side of garlic bread is also a good combination with this spinach Alfredo dish.

When I make my garlic bread I slice the Italian bread in half lengthwise, and put oil and crushed garlic on top of each side. You can also use butter if you don’t want it as crispy. Oil will tend to brown more quickly in oven. Once bread is prepared, put on cookie sheet and put in oven on 400 for about 15 minutes. (Keep watching it, everyone’s oven is different). I like it crispy so I always put it on broil for about 2 minutes more to give it that crisp. Don’t forget though that butter will not burn as quickly as oil for the garlic bread. You can also make the garlic bread in a toaster oven depending on the size of the loaf.

So the pasta dish with the salad and even some garlic bread can make the perfect meal in about 30 minutes. I think of this as a restaurant type meal at home during the week which is a wonderful inclusion in our days, especially when stuck at home during the pandemic.

I hope you enjoy my recipe. Don’t forget— you can be creative and use whatever pastas you wish. Be daring and add sausage or shrimps to your dish to have a heartier flair. Enjoy!

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