And store-bought ravioli is simply...out of the question.
Store-bought, hand-made, gourmet ravioli? Where did you find these? And were they good?
Regardless...
There is a way to have ravioli...without the ravioli.
Introducing, welcoming - drum roll - the Jumbo Shells.
They are giant. They are dry. And they come clean and easy...in a box.
You boil them, stuff them with the goodies of your choice (today's choice: kale, alliums, vegan cheese), and then slowly whisper "let there be ravioli."
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Feeds four
Ingredients:
15 jumbo shells, cooked according to package instructions
1 large bunch kale, leaves torn from the stalks by hand
1 small-sized yellow onion, thinly sliced
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil
1 canned whole or diced tomatoes
4 "grates" of whole nutmeg
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 handfuls of vegan cheese (2 handfuls cheddar style, 2 handfuls mozzarella style) (I used Daiya)
Bring water to a boil and cook the jumbo shells according to package instructions, usually about 8 to 10 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the filling.
In a pan over medium heat, sauté the yellow onion with olive oil for one minute and then add the garlic and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until translucent and fragrant. Take care not to burn the garlic. Add the kale and nutmeg and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the kale wilts slightly; try to find the middle state between too chewy and completely wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste, remove pan from the heat, and then mix in 1/2 of the vegan cheese (1 handful cheddar style, 1 handful mozzarella style).
When the jumbo shells are done cooking, drain them in a colander, rinse them with cold water briefly, and let the excess water seep through the colander. Stuff the kale into the shells immediately, before the shells start to dry out.
In a large baking pan, dump the can of tomatoes. If using whole tomatoes, use a spatula to break apart each whole tomato. Add 2-3 pinches of salt, a few turns of black pepper, and 2-3 pinches of dried mixed herbs. Tuck each stuffed jumbo shell in the tomato mixture, three shells per row, for a total of five rows. Sprinkle in the remaining vegan cheese. Bake in the oven at 400 degree F for 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes start bubbling and the vegan cheese melts.
Eat mindfully and ENJOY.
P.S. A little, but much deserved, praise for the vegan cheese: it was good - tasty to the taste buds and light to the tummy. It is essential, however, that the "cheese" melts, and so leftovers need to be reheated before consumption.
P.S. A little, but much deserved, praise for the vegan cheese: it was good - tasty to the taste buds and light to the tummy. It is essential, however, that the "cheese" melts, and so leftovers need to be reheated before consumption.
