This is a variation of a recipe that I make frequently. It's good, filling, and much easier to make than a traditional lasagna. The sauce starts with lean ground turkey, so is reasonably economical. It's also quick to make in a skillet. You'll need a package of frozen ravioli. Pretty much any kind will do. I use square, cheese-filled ravioli, but you can also go for other shapes (round?) and fillings, if you like/have them available. A simple ricotta and mozzarella mixture provides creaminess to the dish and extra protein. The ravioli bake can be assembled ahead of time, refrigerated, and baked later if you like. Alternatively, you can bake the ravioli ahead of time, refrigerate it, and then reheat it (not too long though, which I sort of did in the last photo--oops--but it was still good!). All you really need to serve with the bake is a salad or green vegetable and some garlic bread, and you'll have a great meal--for a weeknight and/or company dinner. Enjoy!
Ground Turkey and Ravioli Bake -- Serves 6+
Sauce
2-3 teaspoons of olive oil
1 medium chopped onion
16 ounces (or so) lean ground turkey (93 percent)
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
2-3 teaspoons of dried Italian herbs
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper (or to taste)
1 teaspoon of sugar
About 1/2 cup of water, red wine, or cooled black tea (yes, tea works fine!)
Other Ingredients
24-ounce (approximately) package of ravioli (cheese or other)
15-16 ounces of ricotta cheese (part-skim is fine)
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
In a large skillet or chef's pan heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onion to the pan and crumble in the ground turkey. Sprinkle on 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and saute the onion and turkey mixture for 8-10 minutes until the onion has softened and the turkey is mostly cooked. Add the garlic to the pan and saute it with the meat/onion for a minute or so. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, the dried herbs, the remaining teaspoon of salt, the ground pepper, sugar, and the water, wine, or tea. Bring the mixture to a boil, then stir it well and turn down the heat to a simmer. Let the sauce cook for about 15 minutes to blend the flavors and until it thickens just a bit. While the sauce is cooking, combine the ricotta with 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan, and 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Stir in the dried basil. Spritz a large casserole dish or two smaller dishes with non-stick cooking spray. When the sauce has cooked, spread about half of it in the bottom of the prepared dish(es). Spread half of the frozen ravioli on top of the sauce. Dollop all of the ricotta mixture on top of the ravioli, then spread out the ricotta mixture as much as you can over the top of the ravioli. Cover the ricotta mixture with the remaining ravioli, then pour on the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the ravioli bake(s) with aluminum foil (spritzed with non-stick spray on the side that goes over the top of the bake(s)), and cook the ravioli bakes for about 30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove the foil and cook the bakes for another 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let the bake(s) cool 5-10 minutes before serving them.
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