Semi-Homemade Ravioli

This is my Wednesday night ode to Sandra Lee. I am notorious for throwing together whatever happens to be in my fridge. Living alone doesn't make it easy to stock a full fridge and cooking for one is a bit tricky sometimes.

For this recipe I used pre-made ravioli/won ton squares that I found in the vegetarian/vegan section at Kroger. I had never used these before so I followed the recipe instructions on the packaging for the ravioli. They suggested making a filling of cooked spinach and ricotta cheese seasoned with salt and pepper. Because I was in a pinch I got crafty and decided to use a spinach dip I had in the fridge and mixed it with fresh grated Parmesan cheese for the filling. Here's the step-by-step:

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Place one ravioli square on a clean dry surface. Spoon 2 tablespoons of spinach mixture neatly into the center of the square.

3. Dip your finger or a small brush into a glass of water and brust the outside rim of the ravioli square. You will feel the ravioli become gluey from the moistness of the water.

4. Place a second square on top of the first and use a fork to press edges together. I found that in order to be sure that the filling doesn't ooze out, work one side at a time and pick the ravioli up as you go and handle delicately.

5. Arrange completed ravioli on a baking sheet that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick. Brush top of ravioli with olive oil and place in oven for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly browned. I flipped them half way through just to be sure I wasn't burning them on one side, as baking ravioli was a new concept to me. They became a little more crispy than I would have liked, so next time I might experiment with dropping them in boiling water instead.

6. Serve with red sauce for dipping or drizzle over like I did. Easy peasy.

For the side salad I just topped chopped iceberg with sliced strawberries, cucumbers and crumbled Parmesan cheese. Drizzled with lite balsamic vinaigrette and you have a delicious summer salad. If I had some chopped walnuts or slivered almonds I would have thrown those in the mix for a good crunch, but alas, you work with what you have!

This was a delicious and easy mid-week meal, hope you enjoy and feel inspired by my semi-homemade pinch meal. Have you ever done something different like using spinach dip for a ravioli filling? Let's hear about it!