Pesto mushroom ravioli

Baked.

Remember when you were little and your mom was all up in your business spouting off all this nonsense about how you should eat your vegetables?  They're good for you?   So you sat at the table and leered at them, wishing they would just disappear?  Yeah, that was how it was for me.  Except it was potato salad.  Seriously!?  Potatoes, eggs, mayonnaise and mustard?  No thanks.  I have actually always loved veggies.  I was the kid who sat on the porch going after carrot sticks instead of popsicles.  Naturally, when I went vegetarian I figured it would be a breeze.  I mean, you eat veggies.  Easy.  The only problem is I am not a fan of your typical vegetarian staples like squash, zucchini, eggplant, cucumber or the dreaded mushroom.  So, as I've continued down the path into vegetable land I have been trying to trick myself into finding ways to eat these things and maybe even like them.  My squash results have been minimal thus far but I struck gold the other day with these mushroom ravioli.  I promise they don't even taste like mushrooms.  They just taste awesome.  Go pour yourself a glass of wine and get ready!

You will need:

a package of wonton wrappers
1 egg, beaten
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp vegetable broth (go organic!)
 1 package of crimini mushrooms
1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated

So, we gotta start by making your filling.  Heat a tablespoon of oil over medium heat.  While this is heating up slice your mushrooms thinly.  I cut off the stems but I am not sure that's necessary.  It was my first time cooking with mushrooms, give me a break.  Cook mushrooms with 1 clove of garlic until they soften up and darken (maybe 7ish mins).  Once they are done set them aside.  In your food processor, combine 2 cloves garlic, spinach, basil, walnuts, 2 tbsp olive oil, and vegetable broth.  Pulse until well blended.  Add mushrooms and continue pulsing until you get a relatively smooth texture.  You don't want it to look like a milkshake but it also shouldn't be chunky.  Get your egg and wonton wrappers ready.  Take a wrapper and dip it in the egg. Then scoop a small amount of your mixture into the middle of the wrapper.  Fold over edges to make a triangle.  Take a fork and use the tongs to crimp the edges.  Really get after it or they might fall apart.  Continue doing this until you have used all of the filling.

So, this recipe was all about experimentation for me.  I had tried ravioli before and boiled them and they were freaking nasty.  So, I needed a new way to cook them.  First I tried pan frying them which worked ok.  They ended up being a touch oily.  I boiled a few more just to humor myself.  They, too, were disgusting.  (see picture below)  I found that the winning way to prepare these is to bake them.  You can use either a cookie sheet or a baking pan.  Spray it with cooking spray and place them just so that they don't touch.  Bake at 350 for 20 mins, turning once.  And voila!  Enjoy these with a nice glass of red, perhaps a pinot noir!

Cheers!

Megan J

Pan Fried

Boiled.  Ick.