Ravioli Dinner Salad Variation

Salad Ingredients:

1 package cheese and herb raviolis
1 bunch red leaf lettuce
Parmesan cheese, about ½ cup
sundried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
fresh basil
olive oil

Special Need: Parchment paper

Dressing Ingredients:
(original version from Moosewood Restaurant’s Lo-Fat Favorites; this is the Kelly version)

a handful of sundried tomatoes, not packed in oil
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
enough water to achieve the desired consistency (start with ¼ cup)

Prepare the dressing. First, soak the handful of sundried tomatoes in hot water until softened. Then, combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until you reach desired consistency, adding more water if necessary. Set aside.

To make the Parmesan crisps, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit a medium-sized baking sheet. Place the parchment paper over the surface of the baking sheet. Using a microplane grater (or the fine blade on your cheese grater) grate the Parmesan cheese into a bowl. Take a large pinch of the Parmesan (a tablespoon or two) and place it on the parchment paper, making an even mound about an inch or two across. Repeat, leaving about an inch of space between mounds, until the cheese is gone and/or the baking sheet is filled. Bake until golden brown, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Cook the raviolis according to package directions. Drain. In a large sauté pan, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. In a single layer, place the raviolis in the pan, Sauté until golden on each side.

Wash and tear lettuce. Spin dry in a salad spinner, or pat dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss the greens with the salad dressing. Top with the remaining sundried tomatoes, the toasted raviolis, the Parmesan crisps, and fresh basil and fresh ground pepper to taste.