Ravioli Vegetable Lasagna - Spinach, Artichoke, Asparagus - Yum!

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 -6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 14 ounces water-packed artichoke hearts, drained well
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups vegetable stock (or chicken)
• 1/2 cup cream or 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• salt and black pepper
• 2 cups grated provolone cheese or 2 cups italian cheese blend
• 24 -28 ounces fresh ravioli, large package, such as contadina brand, choose your favorite filling, such as wild mushroom or 4 cheese
• 1 lb thin asparagus spear, trimmed of tough ends

Recipe

• 1 note - orginal recipe did not give ounce measurements for the spinach or the artichokes - i assume sizes may vary by brand. orginal recipe just says 2 packages of frozen spinach - she used the small box size on tv. original recipe stated 2 cans of artichokes. zaar won't let you put in packages or cans without giving an ounces amount.
• 2 bring a pot of water to boil for ravioli.
• 3 while water comes to a boil, drain defrosted frozen chopped spinach by wringing it dry in a kitchen towel, working over a garbage bowl or your sink.
• 4 heat a medium skillet over medium heat. add extra-virgin olive oil and saute garlic in oil 1 minute, then sprinkle spinach into the garlic oil. add artichoke heart pieces to the pan and turn to combine and heat through. season vegetables with and remove from heat to a bowl. (note -- i didn't not use the full amount of artichokes - since, i cut the recipe in half, i was only using one can of artichokes, but it seemed like a lot so i used about half the can. so use your own judgement when adding the artichokes.).
• 5 place skillet back on the heat and melt butter. whisk flour into butter and cook 1 to 2 minutes. whisk stock into flour and butter and let it bubble. whisk in cream and parmesan. season sauce with nutmeg, salt and pepper and thicken 1 to 2 minutes.
• 6 when water boils, salt water, add ravioli and cook 4 to 5 minutes. ravioli should be less than al dente, still a bit chewy -- it will continue cooking when combined with sauce and vegetables. place a colander over ravioli as it cooks and add asparagus to it. cut thin, trimmed asparagus into 2-inch pieces on an angle. steam the chopped asparagus while pasta cooks, 2 to 3 minutes, until just fork-tender, but still green. remove asparagus and add to bowl with spinach and artichokes. place colander in your sink and drain ravioli.
• 7 drizzle a touch of extra virgin olive oil onto the bottom of a medium oval casserole or a rectangular baking dish and brush pan to coat evenly.
• 8 arrange a layer using 1/2 of cooked ravioli in the dish. layer 1/2 of the cooked vegetables over the ravioli. next, add a few ladles of sauce, then vegetables, then top casserole with the last of the ravioli. dot top of "lasagna" with any remaining sauce and cover liberally with gratedprovolone or 4 cheese blend.
• 9 brown cheese 8 inches from broiler, 5 minutes. note - this is the part of the recipe that didn't work for me. by the time i assembled the ingredients, they were cold so i ended up having to bake the dish in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or so.
• 10 this was supposed to be a 30 minute meal, but i think it took longer. maybe after i've made it a few times, it would only take 30 -- either way it was still an easy recipe to make.
• 11 i think this could be easily made ahead and reheated or frozen. i haven't tried freezing it yet, but it is yummy the next day.