- about 1 pound of eggplant
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup basil
- about 4-5 oz (1/3 lb.) goat cheese
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 packages of mushroom ravioli (about 8-10 oz. each package)
The eggplant, garlic, and basil are from Cardo's Farm Project (a local, organic, vegetable farm I volunteer at).
Note about the ravioli: I used Buitoni. They are readily available in most grocery stores. They are yummy. But......the ingredients aren't the best. But unless I make my own ravioli, I don't have a better option (although, as I'm writing this, I realize I haven't checked the freezer section of my local health food store). These Buitoni even have carrageenen in them. See my note about carrageenen here. I'm sure Whole Foods, Central Market, etc. have a great option, but that's not available to me. And hey, even food bloggers need a helping hand occasionally and need to buy pre-made meal starters (like these ravioli)!
Boil a pot of water for the ravioli. Cook according to package directions (4-6 minutes for mine). They are done when they rise to the top. Drain.
Chop the eggplant into bite size pieces.
Heat about 2 tbsp of olive oil on med-high heat. Add the eggplant. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add more olive oil if needed. Sometimes the eggplant soaks up all the oil.
Chop the garlic. Add to the eggplant and cook for another 3 minutes.
Add about 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper.
Chop the tomatoes and basil.
The eggplant should be slightly browned.
Reduce the heat to med-low. Add the basil and tomatoes.
I have never added marinara sauce before. But it was in the fridge so I added it. I thawed out some homemade pizza crusts earlier this week and didn't have time to make a homemade sauce (I usually have some homemade in the freezer, but not this time). So I bought this for the pizzas and had a bit leftover (about 1/2 cup). I liked that it made the sauce for the ravioli "saucier", but it did not help my pictures at all! It made the sauce a bit messy, but it was delicious!
Add your goat cheese. This cheese was very creamy. So I stirred it as the heat melted it a little and mixed it in the sauce. I have used a crumbly cheese before that doesn't melt as well. Either kind works. I prefer a crumbly texture for this recipe, but either one is delicious.
Side salad.
- Lettuce
- Sunflower greens (from Cardo's Farm Project)
- Red onion
- Cilantro
- Oregano
- Boiled egg (from Cardo's Farm Project) (I eat farm fresh boiled eggs as a snack regularly and keep some in the fridge already boiled regularly)
- Cherry tomatoes
- Pepper (from Cardo's Farm Project)
I love this dressing and use it very often!
Equal parts honey and apple cider vinegar (eyeball it) and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Stir to mix. That's it!
Add the ravioli to the eggplant sauce.
New follower from Wine'd Down Weds. This looks so good! My hubs loves eggplant...I might have to give this a try! -Andrea www.handandtheheart.com
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by! Hope he likes it
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