Parsley Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce

I had some leftover Ricotta cheese and found this recipe yesterday. I was pleased with how the ravioli turned out, even though I didn't let the butter brown up enough!! The flavor is light and bright, and the lemony sauce helps to brighten it even more. Some tips I have are that you should set the finished ravioli on a damp dishcloth rather than on a greased pan. I did both (didn't have enough cookie sheets handy) and the raviolis stuck to the greased pan. However, try to have enough cookie sheets handy to place the boiled ravioli on in the oven while keeping warm. The other tip I have is to definitely use those large round spoons with holes for removing the ravioli from the pan, and tilt it against the side of the pan to drain off the water. I also used 5 or 6 ravioli in the boiling pan, more would make them stick together. This is definitely a keeper and I will freeze the leftover ravioli to make with the sauce later. I didn't eat the parsley in the sauce, but it did add some flavor and looked nice on the plate.

Parsley Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce

1 c. Ricotta cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 c. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (aka Italian parsley)
1 large egg

1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
48 round won ton wrappers (about 9 oz.)
6 T butter
2 t. lemon juice
1/2 c. leaves of flat-leaf parsley

1. Combine cheeses, chopped parsley, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Lay 8 wrappers on a flat surface and spoon 1 Tablespoon cheese mixture onto center of each. Working with 1 wrapper at a time, moisten edge with water and top with another wrapper, pressing to seal tightly. Transfer ravioli to a greased baking sheet, cover, and repeat to maker more ravioli. Preheat oven to 250º.
3. Cook 4 to 5 ravioli at a time in boiling water until dough is tender, 3 minutes. Transfer to greased baking sheet in a singe layer, cover with foil, and keep warm in oven.
4. While the second to last batch of ravioli is boiling, melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling until light golden, 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and parsley leaves. Layer ravioli and sauce on a platter. Serves 4.

Easy Macaroni and Cheese

I had some cheddar cheese to use up so I thought I would try one of my mac and cheese recipes. This was one I had used before and had written "keep" on it. I had used some cayenne pepper instead of the onions and bell peppers, why I don't know!! However, I liked the idea of cayenne pepper and added a pinch instead of the black pepper. I used green onions, but left out the bell peppers. There was a tiny bit of spiciness, just enough, and I will keep this recipe. I will probably make it the same way I did this time the next time I make it.

Easy Macaroni and Cheese

7 oz. macaroni shells or similar sized pasta
1 T butter
2 T flour
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. dry mustard
1/8 t. black pepper
1 c. milk
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 T sliced green onions (optional)
2 T chopped red bell pepper

1. Begin boiling macaroni according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, heat butter in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, mustard, and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is absorbed; remove from heat.
3. Gradually stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
4. Stir in cheese until melted.
5. Drain cooked pasta. Stir in sauce, onions, and bell peppers. Cook, stirring, until heated through. Serves 4.