Ravioli

Raviolis with Shrimp & Hot Peppers

18 frozen ravioli (or make your own-recipe below)

26 medium shrimp

1½ cup turkey, chopped

1¼ cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

¼ cup shredded cheddar

2-3 jalapeño peppers, chopped

½ red bell pepper, chopped

2 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup milk

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. flour

Cook ravioli according to package directions.  Peel and devein shrimp.  Sauté garlic and peppers in hot olive oil for about 2 minutes then add shrimp and sauté another 3-5 minutes until shrimp turns pink and opaque. 

In medium sauce pan melt butter and stir in flour, add milk and heat until thick and bubbly.  Stir in Monterey Jack cheese until melted.  Add shrimp, turkey and peppers to cheese sauce stir to blend. 

Place nine raviolis each on oven safe plates; pour sauce over and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.  Place under broiler for 1-2 minutes just until cheese bubbles.  Serve immediately.

Homemade Ravioli

 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg                                                                              

1/3 cup water

½ tsp. salt

Beat the egg and water together. In large bowl combine flour and salt. Create a well in the center and slowly pour in the water and egg mixture. If too dry add a little water until pliable dough is formed.  Knead the dough until elastic.  Cut into two separate balls. Cover with damp cloth and rest for ten minutes. Cut each ball into four equal pieces and roll into 10x10 inch squares.  Cut each into nine squares.  Fill with cheese & turkey mixture.  Seal and cook in boiling water for 5-6 minutes.

Turkey/Cheese Filling

1½ cup chopped turkey meat

2-3 chopped jalapeno peppers

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

Combine all ingredients together until smooth. Spoon into prepared ravioli wrappers.

Food for thought:

→Pasta originates in China or Greece, but it’s a myth that the concept of combining flour and water was brought to Italy by Marco Polo upon his return from China in the 13th Century. 

→At first, dry pasta was a luxury item in Italy, because of high labor costs, as the semolina had to be kneaded for a long time. Only after the industrial revolution in Naples, when a mechanical process allowed for large scale production of dry pasta, did it become affordable and popular among the common people. 

→The founder of one of the world’s leading pasta makers, Pietro Barilla, is said to have dusted flour on the sleeve of his black suit on a daily basis. If he could blow the flour off without a trace, it meant that the flour was dry and finely grained and perfect for pasta making. 

→There are more than 600 pasta shapes worldwide, but in Italian pasta names don’t sound particularly appetizing.  Spaghetti means strings, vermicelli are small worms, farfalle are butterflies, orechiette small ears, linguine little tongues and ravioli little turnips. 

→Italians never use a spoon and a fork when eating spaghetti. This is an American habit. In Italy you simply twirl a fork against the dish. 

→Italians eat the most pasta per capita per year of any population in the world. But exactly how much is that? 60 lbs., per person, per year! 

→October 25th is World Pasta Day.  

Welcome to the 2018 A-Z Blogging challenge.  This will be my fourth year. Every year I take on the challenge with hopes of disciplining myself to keep writing throughout the year as much, if not more than just through the monthly challenge. (It certainly is a challenge.)  Some years are better than others.  Some I just lose track of time.  This year I have decided to put my favorite hobbies together. A recipe that is tried and true as well as some thoughtful insight.  Please note some of these recipes have been shared before, however they have gone through years of testing and this is the perfected recipe.  I really hope one of my recipes or “Food for Thought” inspires you to do something great.  Enjoy the read and the photos, try the recipe, share your thoughts or comments, and most of all, have FUN with the challenge this month!

Cheers,