Ricotta, spinach and prosciutto ravioli adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis

In an unusual (in a good way) turn of events, R was inspired to cook dinner this weekend. He watched a Giada DeLaurentiis Everyday Italian episode on the Food Network and decide to try his hand at ricotta, spinach and prosciutto ravioli; not an easy choice for a first meal! It was a huge treat and turned out great (albeit not without much stress and angst emanating from the kitchen). He even adapted the original recipe to substitute an olive oil sauce for an unhealthy butter sauce and added toasted pine nuts for extra flavor.

Ricotta, spinach and prosciutto ravioli adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis

1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
2 large egg yolks
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
48 wonton wrappers
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
Freshly grated pecorino

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, prosciutto, egg yolks, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Place 1 tablespoon of the ricotta filling in the center of a wonton wrapper. Brush the edge of the wrapper lightly with water. Fold the wrapper in half, enclosing the filling completely and forming a triangle. Pinch the edges to seal. Transfer the ravioli to baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers. (Can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate.)


Heat the olive oil in a heavy small skillet over medium heat. Add the oregano and stir 1 minute. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Working in batches, cook the ravioli in a large sauté pan of boiling salted water until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer the ravioli to a large shallow bowl.

In a small skillet, toast the pine nuts until golden brown and fragrant.

Pour the oregano olive oil over the ravioli and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle the pecorino and pine nuts over the ravioli and serve.

Spinach-couscous salad

My aunt always buys a terrific spinach couscous salad from a deli on the upper east side that we all love and devour. Time to figure out how to make it at home! It's extremely simple to make and is the perfect summer lunch. I tried a few times to successfully reverse-engineer it and I think I've got it!

1 1/4 cups cooked couscous (cooked in water, not chicken stock which can make it too chicken-y)
4 cups baby spinach, de-stemmed, and any tough veins removed
4 tbs minced green onion (about 3)
4 tbs chopped dill (a surprise ingredient)
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup French feta, cut or crumbled into small cubes
~1-2 tbs good olive oil
Salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste (I'm generous with both)

Allow couscous to cool. Chiffonade spinach and combine all ingredients. This version, which we like, is more spinach than couscous but adjust quantities to your liking. I like to drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle some additional salt on mine before I eat it but it's also good just as it is.