Show me a good shortcut in the kitchen and we’ll be forever friends. That’s what Leigh Ann from My Diary of Us showed me in her new book, First Bites.
Keeping up with the feeding demands of a preschooler is hard work. They love one thing one day, and the next day it’s as if you’ve placed a pile of poo in front of their face. And, despite cooking up a variety of meals and dishes almost daily, my child survives off of a rotation of chicken nuggets, mac n cheese and frozen yogurt.
This is largely my fault.
After all, the vast majority of the food I make is too grown up for his tiny taste buds. I mean, I wouldn’t even entertain the idea of vegetables that weren’t covered in melted cheese until I was in high school, so I can’t blame the kid.
But I can do better.
That said, I have no idea were to start. Keeping it simple is not my forte. I mean, I can do it if I have to, but many of my recipes can be quite complex (not in labor, but in ingredient list).
So, when food blogger and mama, Leigh Ann of My Diary of Us, told me about her new cookbook, First Bites. First for myself and then for all the other new (or seasoned) parents I know, this beautiful book is a must have.
When I received the book, flipped the pages and bookmarked most of them to try for myself, one recipe caught my eye in particular- Mini Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Homemade Marinara. Why? These lovely little ravioli are made with wonton wrappers. In other words, anyone can made them!! And, when Octavian is a little older (aka self controlled), he can even help make his very own ravioli!
Learn more about Leign Ann on her blog, My Diary of Us and grab your own copy of First Bites today!
Mini Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Homemade Marinara
Ingredients
FOR THE RAVIOLI
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 cups frozen spinach - thawed
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 30 wonton wrappers
FOR THE MARINARA
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ cup onion - finely diced
- 1 garlic clove - minced
- 15 oz crushed tomatoes - 1 can
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
FOR THE RAVIOLI
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil to the pan.
- Add garlic and let simmer 1 minute until garlic becomes fragrant, and then add the spinach.
- Sauté the spinach and garlic for 2-3 minutes and season with salt and pepper.
- Remove from the heat and let cook slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, and spinach, and mix well.
- Whisk the egg in a small bowl and set aside.
- Place wonton wrappers on a clean surface.
- Place about 1/4 tsp. of the spinach filling in each corner of the wonton wrapper, creating four separate ravioli per wrapper.
- Place another wonton wrapper on top of the bottom one and press around each spinach dollop, not allowing any air to be trapped under.
- Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, carefully cut four ravioli out of each wonton wrapper.
- Repeat the process until all ravioli are made.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Once water is boiling, drop 6-8 ravioli in at a time, and let them boil for about 3-4 minutes or until they float to the top (careful not to overcrowd the pot).
- Remove that batch and continue to cook the rest of the ravioli.
FOR THE MARINARA
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add onion and garlic and cook for 5-10 minutes, until onions become translucent.
- Pour in tomatoes and season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and let cook for about 15 minutes.
- Serve marinara over the cooked ravioli, or serve it alongside for dipping.
Jessica's Notes
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
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