I firmly believe that every mom (and probably every human) should have an arsenal of meals they enjoy eating that can be prepared quickly! Notice I say enjoy eating. Yes, I can get scrambled eggs and toast on the table in no time flat, however I burn out on that quickly. But this Balsamic Ravioli? No chance of burn out from me!
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The most time consuming part of this meal is waiting for the water to boil. You only need 5 ingredients and you can substitute a couple if you don’t have them on hand. It’s a perfect meal to have in your back pocket for when you find yourself with no dinner plan and a hungry family at 5:00.
Preparing the Balsamic Ravioli
First, get a large pot of water boiling for ravioli. I normally use basic cheese ravioli, but have also used spinach and chicken ravioli with success. Beef ravioli was not our favorite.
While the water is heating, chop a big handful of fresh parsley and shred some Parmesan cheese. If you don’t have fresh parsley on hand, dried works fine too. For the cheese, if you don’t have block Parmesan, pre-shredded is fine. However, if you only have the powdery grated stuff, sub in mozzarella, another Italian cheese, or leave it out all together.
Once the ravioli are cooked and drained, brown the butter. Sally’s Baking Addiction has a great tutorial on how to brown butter. As soon as the butter is browned, add the cooked ravioli. Stir to coat and let them sit for a minute or two to crisp up a bit, then stir around and wait once more. The goal is for them to be slightly crisped from frying in the browned butter.
Next add in the balsamic vinegar and gently stir until well coated. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley, Parmesan, and a bit of black pepper to taste.
Add a side salad and you’ve got dinner! This also works perfectly as a side dish alongside some grilled chicken and veggies.
Quick Dinner Ideas
This balsamic ravioli is my favorite quick dinner, but my family really just tolerates it. Sometimes you’ve got to cook for yourself! However, there are times when I don’t want to hear complaining at the dinner table. Here are a few of my quick dinners everyone in the family enjoys:
- Grilled meat, carb, & veggie. I may be the only one left, but my George Foreman Grill is a quick, healthy dinner lifesaver!
- Pasta + Sauce. Spaghetti & jarred marinara. Bow-ties & pesto. Ravioli & Alfredo. Mix and match in other ways to make it feel different. Add leftover meat (or don’t) and salad and dinner is done.
- Mexican. Tacos. Nachos. Burrito bowls. Taco salad. I always double the meat when I make a Mexican dish and freeze half to easily throw another version together later.
- Breakfast for Dinner. Pancakes. German Pancakes. French Toast. And I know I knocked it earlier, but let’s be real – scrambled eggs and toast is not a bad dinner at all.
What is your go to weeknight dinner?
Balsamic Ravioli
Ingredients
- 1 20-25 oz package cheese ravioli
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2-3 tbsp balsamic ravioli
- 1/4 c chopped parsley
- 1/2 c parmesan, shredded
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare ravioli according to package directions.
- While the water boils, chop parsley & shred parmesan and set aside.
- Once ravioli has cooked, brown butter and add cooked and drained ravioli and gently cook until slightly crispy. Add balsamic vinegar and stir until fully coated.
- Remove from heat to stir in parsley, Parmesan & black pepper. Serve immediately.
