Last week's recipe featured pre-made basil pesto, so we're keeping with the theme here. If you happen to have pesto on hand and use store-bought ravioli, this becomes a quick and easy main-dish pasta.Makes four servings.
1 lb. fresh cheese or mushroom ravioli or tortellini
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 lb. wild mushrooms (perhaps a mix of shiitakes, oysters, portobellos or porcinis)
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups low fat milk
4 oz. neufchatel (reduced fat) cream cheese
3/4 cup basil pesto (recipe follows)
Salt & pepper
Add ravioli to boiling salted water and cook until al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain in a colander and toss with olive oil so it doesn't stick together.
Heat olive oil in a saucepan or large skillet. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until they give off their juices and start to brown slightly. Add the flour and stir well to coat the veggies. Pour in the milk and stir over medium-low heat to thicken. After about five minutes add the cream cheese in tablespoon-size pieces and stir in to combine and melt into the sauce.
After the sauce is well heated through, stir in the pesto and continue to heat over a medium-low flame. As soon as it begins to bubble, put the pasta in a large mixing bowl, pour the sauce over it, and stir gently to combine. Serve and enjoy. This goes great with a steamed green vegetable and a caesar salad.
BASIL PESTO
Fistful of fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
8 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and buzz it until it becomes a smooth paste, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Adjust flavors as appropriate. (If you want a more pronounced garlic flavor, throw in a few extra cloves. Same goes for the other ingredients.) If the pesto seems too thick, add more olive oil. Store in an airtight jar or sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator, or freeze for later use.
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