TIP OF THE DAY: Sneak Veggies Into The Pasta
 Brussels sprouts and fennel accent mushroom ravioli. Photo courtesy Giovanni Rana Pasta. |
Just about everyone likes to eat a big plate of pasta; a smaller percentage of us enjoy a big plate of vegetables. Pasta Primavera, “spring pasta,” with a complement of spring vegetables like asparagus and zucchini, has long been a way of combining both. Often, a fun shape—bowtie or corkscrew pasta is used.
We’re still some weeks away from spring asparagus, so how about “Pasta Inverno”—a pasta recipe with winter vegetables. Think bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, onion, winter squash and other seasonal choices. The winter-hearty dish below from Giovanni Rana Pasta unites their refrigerated mushroom ravioli with winter veggies that don’t naturally come to mind when you think pasta: Brussels sprouts and fennel. Try—it’s delicious. The second time you make it, add an even larger percentage of vegetables, with the goal of achieving a 1:1 ratio of pasta and veggies. And of course, serve with a big side salad. That’s how to get everyone to eat more vegetables! |
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RECIPE: MUSHROOM RAVIOLI WITH ROASTED WINTER VEGETABLES Ingredients For 4 Servings |
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Preparation 1. PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Cut off the stem end of the Brussels sprouts and cut into quarters lengthwise. Place in a mixing bowl. 2. SLICE fennel into 1/8” pieces and add to bowl. Cut both ends off the onion, peel and cut in half. Then quarter each onion half, for a total of 8 chunks. Separate the onion layers and add to the bowl, along with the garlic cloves. 3. ADD enough extra virgin olive oil to lightly coat all pieces (about 3 tablespoons). Lay the vegetables on a sheet pan in one layer and roast without flipping for 15 minutes. Add the whole sprigs of fresh thyme and flip all pieces. 4. CONTINUE roasting vegetables until they are tender and well browned, flipping every 5-10 minutes; about 35 minutes total. Remove garlic cloves and sprigs of thyme. Season vegetables to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. While the vegetables are roasting… |
 Who’d have thought up pairing Brussels sprouts with mushroom ravioli. It’s a yummy recipe. Photo courtesy Burpee. |
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5. MELT butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Prepare ravioli according to package instructions. Drain ravioli, reserving ¼ cup of cooking water. Toss ravioli in the butter along with roasted vegetables. If necessary, add enough cooking water to achieve a sauce-like consistency. Plate ravioli and vegetables together and serve.
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