Though it is probably hard to tell from the giant slabs of beef we sometimes post, we have been trying very hard to healthify our menus. This approach is met with a certain amount of skepticism from Ben, but he loves spicy greens ravioli, so this week’s plan was an easy sell. We have made this healthy, tasty recipe, inspired by Sara Moulton, for a couple years, but this week we discovered that Ben is a ravioli sealing master!
Spicy Greens Ravioli
2 tablespoons olive oil
7 cups packed spicy baby arugula
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch red chili pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
1 package square wonton wrappers (about 54 wrappers)
1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Heat oil over medium-high heat and and add greens. Cook until wilted, about three minutes. Transfer them to a strainer set over a bowl and let them drain. Squeeze out and reserve extra liquid. Pour the liquid into the reserved skillet and place the greens in the bowl. Mix ricotta, pecorino, nutmeg, chili pepper, and salt and pepper to taste with the greens.
Dust a parchment-lined baking sheet lightly with flour. Working with three wonton wrappers at a time, place a rounded tablespoon of greens filling mixture on each wonton wrapper. Keep remaining wrappers covered with plastic wrap or slightly damp paper towel. Use your “finger paintbrush” to apply egg wash to the perimeter of the wrapper. Place another wrapper on top, press to remove air bubbles, and seal all the edges by pressing down. Place each ravioli on baking sheet.
When all raviolis are formed, cook in gently boiling water (in at least two batches) about 4 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat reserved liquid from greens in skillet and add butter to make a sauce. When ravioli is cooked, remove with slotted spoon. Spoon sauce over raviolis and serve with additional pecorino Romano.
It has been awhile since I last spun you a yarn, so pull up a chair and settle in for a tale of going green. Twice.
Years ago, when Ben was but a tad, Phil looked into expanding our life insurance. Our rates were based upon various health metrics. Phil worked on examining the pricing, and asked me, one night, how much I weighed. I told him, and he said, “Oh.” Disappointed pause. Click, click, click went the keys on our desktop computer. “Hmm…” he fretted. Click, click, click. Pause.“Do you think you could cut seven pounds before your birthday?” Silence.
This is the point at which most wives, in their right minds, would chuck something heavy and sharp at their husbands. Knowing Phil as I do, I just asked why. He told me that (imagine, now, an economist, maybe pushing up his duct-taped glasses and speaking in a nerd’s monotone, channeling the myopic scientist on The Simpsons) “Well, it would, uhhh, represent a lifetime savings of, uhhh, approximately $5,000.”
I’m no economist, but I am historically cheap, and so I didn’t take his weight loss request as an insult, or a sign that he thought I was fat, or that he didn’t love me. I just lost the seven pounds, and then I kept going until I had lost 23 pounds, just to be on the safe side. Or maybe to spite him. We can’t be sure.
We secured the advantageous insurance plan, our marriage survived, and life went on. Twenty years passed, a pandemic came, I taught remotely, and throughout those years, the pounds piled on. And on. In July, I began, in earnest, to start taking them off. To date, I’ve lost 29 pounds, and I’m very optimistic about continuing the trend. The story of how isn’t that exciting or novel. Calories in. Calories out. Yadda yadda yadda.
The real challenge for me these days is cooking with Ben. If I choke up too much on the reins in my zeal for healthy meals, Ben takes matters into his own hands. I’m just trying to do less of this…
and more of this…
It’s not easy being green, but we’ll keep trying!