Red Pesto Ravioli Recipe

• 1 pound fresh cheese raviolis
• 12 plump, chewy sun-dried tomatoes (about 2 ounces)
• 2 medium cloves garlic
• a couple big pinches of red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup walnuts or pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 3 handfuls of baby spinach tossed with a glug of olive oil and a big pinch of salt.
• 2/3 cup oven-roasted cherry tomatoes (optional)*
• a bit of crumbled goat cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously and cook the raviolis per package instructions. Drain, but reserve about one cup of the hot pasta water (important!).
2. In the meantime, make the sun-dried tomato pesto by pulsing the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, pepper flakes, olive oil, thyme, and salt in a food processor until it comes together into a textured crumble. Add the walnuts, and pulse a few more times - see photo. Set aside.
3. Combine 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water in a large mixing bowl along with two-thirds of the sun-dried tomato pesto. Add the cooked raviolis and gently toss. Add more of the hot pasta water if needed to thin the pesto out - it should make a nice chunky sauce. Taste and add more of the pesto if you like - it's really a matter of personal preference at this point.
4. Arrange the baby spinach on a large platter and top with everything from the ravioli mixing bowl. Top with the cherry tomatoes and a bit of crumbled goat cheese.
5. Serves 2 - 4.
6. *To oven-roast cherry tomatoes: Heat oven to 350F degrees. Cut each tomato in half and arrange in a large oven-proof baking dish. Mix together a big splash of olive oil, a spoonful of brown sugar, and a few pinches of salt. Pour this over the tomatoes. Gently toss them a bit, making sure they all get coated. Arrange tomatoes cut-side up. Place in the oven and bake for 45 mintutes or so, until the tomatoes are shrunken and sweet.

fresh cheese raviolis, tomatoes, garlic, couple big, extravirgin olive oil, thyme, salt, walnuts, baby spinach, tomatoes, goat cheese

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/red-pesto-ravioli-recipe-50041865 (may not work)