Baked Ravioli

Baked Ravioli
Adapted from Everyday Foods

 Baked Ravioli

 

Baked Tortellini

This recipe is a keeper! I made this recipe using whole wheat ravioli and reduced fat shredded Mozzarella to make this recipe healthier. I added agave nectar to give the sauce a good balance of sweetness. Herbes de Provence is a blend of dried herbs (thyme, savory, basil, fennel, lavender) commonly used in southern France. Herbes de Provence can be purchased in your local supermarket.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-size onion, finely chopped (13.0 ounces)
3 large cloves garlic, finely minced (0.6 to 0.7 ounce)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons dried Herbes de Provence
One 28-ounce can no-salt, peeled whole plum tomatoes, UNdrained and hand-crushed
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2-1/2 tablespoons agave nectar or brown rice syrup (1.2 ounces) or to taste
Three 9-ounce packages store-bought fresh whole-wheat ravioli or whole-wheat tortellini
1-1/2 cups shredded 2% milk reduced fat mozzarella cheese
(6 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)

Heat a large pot over medium heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the olive oil, onions and garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper and Herbes de Provence during the last minute of cooking. Add both cans of tomatoes (hand-crushed and crushed). Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add the agave nectar and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Position oven rack to the center of the oven. Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch size baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ravioli and continue to cook just until ravioli are floating in the water, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and immediately drain ravioli to a colander. Add the hot ravioli to the pot with the tomato sauce and gently toss to coat the ravioli. It may seem to be a lot of sauce for now, but the ravioli will absorbed most of the sauce after the ravioli are baked. Transfer ravioli to prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the top with mozzarella cheese and then Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Yields 4 to 6 servings