Ravioli

So-called toasted ravioli—which is really fried ravioli—is a specialty of the Italian-American restaurants in St. Louis.

Thanks to a little help from a package of frozen ravioli, you can pull a skillet of toasty, bubbly lasagna from the oven in a little more than half an hour.

Ravioli tossed with asparagus, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and pancetta creates a delicious meal. The lemon juice and olive oil drizzle provide a light, fresh taste.

Three Cheese Asparagus Ravioli flavored with lemon, garlic and basil make a delicious meal to enjoy any night of the week. This one comes together in about 15 minutes so "too busy" is not an excuse.

Gremolata is a mixture or garnish made from fresh parsley, lemon peel and garlic and normally served over osso bucco. In this recipe, it adds a fresh light flavor when tossed with Buitoni Spinach & Artichoke Ravioli.

Roasting corn brings out the natural sweetness and combining with ravioli, garlic and basil creates a delicious meal your whole family will love.

Ravioli are a slam dunk with most people, and making them in the half-moon, or mezzaluna, shape makes a classic preparation a little more elegant. Between the oregano, the fontina cheese, and the meaty eggplant, the filling is quite hearty so I dress these simply with a little extra-virgin olive oil and fresh herbs.

Using cinnamon to flavor a beef dish may sound strange to anyone who is not familiar with the cuisine of southern Italy, where the Moorish influence is apparent in the seasonings of many dishes. I promise, though, the spice is a fantastic addition. The cinnamon gives the sauce a little sweetness and a little heat all in one without being spicy, per se. Try it.

When I visited St. Louis on my first book tour, I sampled these addictive little cocktail nibbles. They are a perfect addition to an antipasto platter or a fun and easy party appetizer; serve them on a big platter with a small bowl of marinara in the center for dipping.

You can substitute fresh or frozen peas for the fava beans. Drain the ricotta in a sieve set over a bowl for about 10 minutes to remove excess liquid. Try to find the denser buffalo ricotta for this recipe. If you use regular ricotta, the filling won’t be as thick.

Here’s an offbeat way to present a stir-fry. Tofu-filled ravioli are like little dumplings in this dish. Do try to use hoisin sauce to finish the dish. It creates a nice brown glaze and adds just the right flavor kick to the mild ravioli.

Offelle are just like ravioli, but what encloses the filling is potato dough rather than pasta dough, which lends a special soft texture. Here’s how I coordinate the elements of this recipe so everything comes together perfectly. First I cook and rice the potatoes for the dough (as in the preceding recipe). While they’re cooling, I make the sausage-spinach filling and let it cool. Then I mix the dough, roll it out, and stuff it to form plump offelle.

Baking pasta with cheese on top creates a chewy and crispy topping kids will love. You can assemble the dish ahead and refrigerate it, then bake it right before dinner.

Wild mushroom ravioli are my very favorites, so I always have a box of them in my freezer. In the time it takes the water to boil and the raviolis to cook—no need to thaw or defrost them—I can make this sauce, and have this great dish on the table in a flash.

Pumpkin ravioli is easier to find in the fall through the holidays, when the Halloween mascot is in season and on the minds of cooks. The sauce can also work nicely with any ravioli filling, but the pairing of pumpkin (or another sweet squash) with sage is particularly perfect, especially with the nutmeg and hazelnut flavors. This is truly a seasonal dish; to me, it tastes like autumn—even autumn in Southern California, where I’m from.

Use hearty pasta from the frozen foods section for this filling dish. All you need to complete this meal is a bountiful salad and some fresh bread. If you’d like, add a steamed green vegetable as well.

Sweet potato sauce for pasta? It’s offbeat, I’ll admit, but a surprisingly good match. This is wonderful with a quick sauté of bell peppers and squashes; or serve it as suggested in the accompanying menu.

Roasting brings out the sweetness of vegetables and intensifies their fresh flavors. Vary the vegetables if you wish, but follow this general pattern: Roast the vegetables, remove skins if necessary, puree, and flavor the puree with fresh herbs or garlic. Serve over hot pasta or use as a sauce for lasagna.

Hold the marinara! For a change of pace, dress ravioli with a quick and creamy sauce that gets added taste and texture from tiny pieces of string beans and prosciutto.

This is a soup that really benefits from homemade stock.

It's worth seeking out fresh cheese ravioli. They will make this meal special.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.