Wonton Wrappers are a great way to make easy, fast pasta dishes. They are found in your local grocery store, are very reasonable in price and only have 160 calories for 8 wrappers. I purchase them whenever they go on sale and throw them in the freezer until I need them.
Tonight's recipe has a total of 313 calories per serving and is full of protein. This is a great option for a meat free, vegetarian based meal. To keep the sodium down and the flavor amazing I have used organic pumpkin pie filling and dried beans not canned. I know dried beans can sometimes seem like a time consuming option but it really isn't. Here is a great tip to help get you in and out of the kitchen. Cook the whole the bag of beans at one time (follow the instructions on the bag) after they are cooked, cooled and dried portion them out into 1 cup freezer bags and place in the freezer. That way they are just as easy as grabbing a can but are so much better for you and offer much more flavor.
1 Package of Wonton Wrappers
1/2 Cup of Ricotta Cheese
2 Cups of Pumpkin Pie Filling
1/2 Cup of Cannellini Beans
1 Garlic Clove
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 250 degrees, since the ravioli cook in batches placing them in the oven in between will keep everything warm until they are ready to be served. Place all filling ingredients (minus seasonings) into a food processor or blender. Mix until completely smooth, season with salt and pepper to taste. Fill a small bowl with water and place a damp paper towel over the open wonton wrappers. I prefer to work as an assembly line, placing numerous wonton wrappers on the working surface, putting a small spoon full of filling into the center of each wrapper and then wetting all corners of the wrapper . Fold the wrapper in half, sealing the filling inside. Set aside on a sprayed/oiled cooking sheet. After you have made the desired amount of ravioli place in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes. You can skip this step but I find the ravioli stick together (do not open while cooking) if they have rested in the fridge first.
While the ravioli rest in the fridge, bring your water to a boil. Season the water with salt and cook 5 to 8 ravioli at a time, cooking 4 to 6 minutes until they float to the top. Make sure you do not over crowd the pot. Once the raviolis are ready to be removed us a large slotted spoon and gently remove ravioli. Place the cooked ravioli on your baking sheet and pop into the warmed oven.
While your ravioli is cooking start your sauce. I would usually pair this with a browned butter sauce but since this is a waistline friendly meal I have created a lighter option.
1/2 Cup of Chicken or Vegetable Broth
1/4 Cup of Balsamic Vinegar
Pour balsamic vinegar in a sauce pan, on medium to high heat and cook sauce until it begins to thicken. You must continually whisk sauce as you do not want it to burn. Once the sauce has reduced (almost in half) begin to add your broth, add the broth a little at a time until you reach the desired taste and consistence. If you prefer a thicker sauce you could always thicken with cornstarch.
For those of you wanting the Brown Butter Sauce here you go:
Brown Butter Sauce
3/4 Cup of Butter
1/4 tsp of Sea Salt
1/4 tsp of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
In a large, heavy sauce pan over medium heat. Add butter and cook until the butter starts to brown, approximately 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Once all the ravioli are cooked, plate the ravioli and drizzle the desired amount of sauce.
Optional - Finish with a drizzle of very good extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of Pecorino cheese.
Since there are only two of us in my house, I usually freeze half my ravioli for another quick meal when I'm in a pinch for time. Instead of making another batch of ravioli, this time I made tortellini so the hubby doesn't feel he is getting the same meal next week.
Hope everyone has a great week. I would love to hear your comments about the recipes, please feel free to post comments and or questions.
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