It’s Time for Ravioli!

 

I love rosemary so I bought this little tiny plant about two years ago. I thought it would be nice to have fresh rosemary whenever I wanted it. Well that works great, if you eat rosemary and lots of it, every day and for every meal. My plant just kept growing and as much as I used rosemary it just kept getting bigger and bigger. I now have a rosemary bush which has taken over my herb garden. I know, I know, we all have problems.

Rosemary is a really pungent herb so it can easily overpower a dish. Pairing it with blueberries was going to be a challenge. I wanted both ingredients to be the star of the dish without being overwhelmed with the rosemary aroma and flavor. What I decided to do was to see if I could incorporate the rosemary and blueberries in a savory recipe that highlights both ingredients in an easy ravioli recipe.

I know, I know, I said ravioli and easy in the same sentence. First and foremost, I am lazy. I thought about making real pasta for about a minute and then decided to try it with wonton wraps. I figure, they look like pasta and   I’ve used them before to make little wontons stuffed with tasty filling so why not? I found a number of recipes on-line and it looked easy enough so I decided to give it a shot.

Now I had to decide on the filling. Since I really wanted to highlight the blueberries I knew they would be main ingredient and I decided to pair them with ricotta and some grated provolone cheese. The provolone helped to bind the blueberries and ricotta. It also added a cheesy richness without a lot of distinct flavor. They were easy enough to make and turned out really pretty. The boiling was a little trickier and I finally settled on getting the water to boiling and then immediately reducing it after the raviolis are added so they just gently boil. Don’t crowd them and just be gentle removing them from the water. Once they are cooked you can really see the blueberries. Some of mine needed more stuffing in the middle so I will try to do better next time.

Next it was time for the shrimp and the sauce. I really love cooking shrimp. It’s so easy to use and I like to let it marinate. It really seems to pick up on the flavors of whatever herbs and spices you are using. I used Dijon mustard and added a little sweetness with the honey. The rosemary was the perfect herb for the sauce and really complemented the tasty blueberries and…….. once I figured out how to cook the ravioli. It really was easy!

For lots more recipes and all kinds of wonderful things about blueberries go to
http://www.blueberrycouncil.org/


Aren't my raviolis pretty?

The blueberries look so good!

 

Blueberry Ravioli and Rosemary Shrimp Provencal

20 wonton wrappers

¼ cup frozen blueberries, mashed

¼ cup ricotta

¼ cup provolone cheese, grated

2 tablespoons olive oil

½lb shrimp, peeled, deveined

5oz mushrooms, sliced

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

½ cup vegetable broth

¼ cup heavy cream

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons finely grated provolone, optional

Ravioli

Combine blueberries, ricotta a provolone cheese. Place 10 wonton wraps on a large plate or platter. Place about 1 teaspoon blueberry mixture in center of each wonton. Brush outer edge of wraps with water and place another wrap on top. Press together to seal and press edges with a fork or with fingers. Place ravioli in boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer until they float to the top. Remove gently with a slotted spoon. Keep warm while you prepare shrimp.

Shrimp

Sauté shrimp in olive oil until it turns pink. (About 2 minutes on each side.) In a bowl, combine  mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, rosemary, mustard and honey. Place cooked shrimp in mixture while you cook mushrooms. Cook mushrooms over medium heat until tender. Add chicken broth, shrimp and sauce. Simmer sauce 1 to 2 minutes over low heat and slowly add heavy cream, salt and blueberries. Heat until sauce is hot and serve over ravioli. Sprinkle with additional grated provolone, if desired.

   

Yum!