Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese Ravioli with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

A few posts back I had made this incredible lamb ragu to accompany some fresh pappardelle pasta that I picked up at the Farmer's Market during my Sunday trip. I mentioned that next time I would try one of their raviolis that looked incredible. Their range of flavors is amazing - Caprese, Lobster, Pear and Pecornio, Ham and Gouds, Butternut Squash...I've had my eye on the Pear and Pecorino since I fist saw it but came to the dilemma of what "healthy" sauce could I pair with it? The recommendation is alfredo and that frankly disgusts me. Derek and I decided on a simple Roasted Garlic and Goat Cheese - and based on how awesome the pappardelle was, we were very excited about making it.

To go alongside the ravioli we bought a pint of orange cherry tomatoes and some basil. The plan was to do a basic saute of the fresh ingredients and toss them with the pasta and that's precisely what we did!

Goat Cheese Ravioli with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

4 T. EVOO
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 package of Santa Cruz Pasta Factory Roasted Garlic and Goat Cheese Ravioli (10 oz)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 bunch basil
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare ravioli according to package directions (fresh = 5 minutes). Drain and set aside.

Heat EVOO in a pan over medium low heat. Add the garlic and saute until slightly browned (cook at a low temperature so the garlic doesn't burn). Cook time is about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, with the back of a spoon, lightly smash some of the tomatoes (about 1/2) so that the juices seep out. Stir in the basil and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the ravioli to the tomato "sauce" and cook until the pasta has "re-heated" and has been tossed well with the tomato mixture.

Serve!

We served this with a salad of butter lettuce, plums, and roasted almonds. The dressing was a grapefruit/red wine vinegar/honey/EVOO mix. It was fine.

No wine...again!

I was a little disappointed with the ravioli. The pasta itself was good but the filling seemed too standard for me. It had ricotta (which is not my favorite) and not enough of a goat cheese taste. And as for roasted garlic - if it was there, I couldn't tell. The simple saute, however, was as expected - light and fresh. If I had been expecting standard ravioli, I would have been very happy with the results of the meal.