5:30 Challenge: Make this cheese ravioli, one-pot pasta at its finest
Extra-speedy one-pot pasta is not a new thing. The technique of cooking dried pasta in a pot with sauce has been popular in the U.S. for the last decade, and at least one culinary website, Food52, gives credit to home cooks in Puglia, Italy for the idea. I’ve made a version of it — a skillet lasagna — for a previous 5:30 Challenge, but the technique is not as universal as the internet claims it to be.
One-pot pasta isn’t great for preparing large batches of pasta. The technique works best when made in a wide skillet that allows each piece of pasta to come into contact with the sauce. Try fitting a pound of rigatoni in a standard large skillet, stir it around, and not spill.
Where the method does work exceptionally well is in recipes that call for pre-made refrigerated stuffed pastas, such as tortellini. These heartier pastas don’t need much liquid to cook through, and their mass-to-calorie ratio means that you can easily fit a family-sized portion in a skillet with plenty of room left for cooking liquid and even a vegetable or two.
A variation of one-pot tortellini that has recently become a favorite in my house is four-cheese pasta with sauteed scallions, wilted baby kale and plenty of lemon. Even when you take into account the small amount of knife work to chop the scallions, you can get this dish on the table in about 15 minutes, which means it really lives up to its quick-cooking promise.
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced, with the whites and greens separated
- 1 (20-ounce) package pre-made refrigerated cheese tortellini or small ravioli
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 (5-ounce) package baby kale, spinach or other quick-cooking leafy green vegetable
- 1 lemon
- Salt
- Optional: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
- Coat an 11- or 12-inch high-sided skillet or large Dutch oven with olive oil and place over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the scallion whites and all but 2 tablespoons of the scallion greens to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tortellini and the broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the tortellini have absorbed most of the broth and are cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. You should have a small amount of broth remaining in the skillet, but the dish shouldn’t be soupy. Stir in the baby kale and zest the lemon over the top. Continue to cook, stirring, until the greens have wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
- Slice the lemon in half and juice it into the pasta. Season to taste with salt and garnish with the remaining scallions and Parmesan cheese, if using. Serve. Serves 4.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 510 calories (percent of calories from fat, 26), 24 grams protein, 72 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 15 grams total fat (6 grams saturated), 60 milligrams cholesterol, 931 milligrams sodium.Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
