Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs and Spinach and Artichoke Ravioli

In order to thank my Mom for keeping Pumpkin for a week while we were on vacation, then bringing her back to Bloomington, I made her an Italian Feast! Well, not really a feast… but a good dinner with some of her favorites, including fresh pasta! She has never made it, so I told her it was easy and we could do it together no problem.
Now my mom is a bit weird, and doesn’t eat poultry, but eats beef. I bought organic ground beef and made some delicious meatballs in a spicy red wine and fennel seed marinara. My key to maximum moistness is cooking them half way in a hot oven to form the outside shape, then simmering them in the sauce to retain the most moisture (because I use 96/4 fat content). I also stuffed them with a little bit of mozzarella (idea from Rachael Ray) and sun dried tomatoes, for a little extra flavor.
We’re big fans of anything spinach and artichoke, so I thought a spinach pasta ravioli with artichoke filling would be great. Then to get our veggies in, I made grilled eggplant, simply seasoned and grilled until tender. This meal was a bit time consuming, but it was fun to cook with and for my mom!

Sundried Tomato and Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

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Spinach and Artichoke Ravioli

1 lb. organic lean ground beef

1 egg

¼ c. Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

¼ yellow onion, grated

1 clove garlic, grated

2 tbsp. grated parmesan

Salt and Pepper

½ tsp. oregano

1 tbsp. tomato paste

12 sun dried tomatoes

8 mini mozzarella balls

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, gently toss together beef, egg, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, parmesan, salt, pepper, oregano, and tomato paste. Divide into quarters. From each quarter, make 3 balls. Roll each mound into a ball, push your thumb in and stick in a piece of cheese and a tomato. Close the hole, form into a ball, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Continue until all balls are made.

Place into the oven and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and gently place each meatball into simmering tomato sauce.

Simmer for 20-30 minutes or longer.

Spinach and Artichoke Ravioli:

Fresh Spinach Pasta:

1 c. all purpose flour

¾ c. whole wheat flour

¼ c. thawed, well drained, and finely minced spinach

½ tsp. salt

2 eggs

Filling:

¼ c. chopped artichoke hearts

½ c. part skim ricotta

¼ c. parmesan

½ tsp. dried thyme

Salt and pepper On a non stick silicon mat, form flours into a mound. Make a well in the middle, add spinach, eggs and salt. Gently mix together with a fork, then knead with hands. Make sure spinach is separated throughout the dough evenly. Cover with a damn towel and leave in a mound to rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough into fourths. Flatten each fourth and dust with flour. Run through a pasta roller on the largest setting. Fold in half and continue a few times, adjusting the setting to smaller and smaller. Lay long strips of dough out on a floured nonstick mat.

When all 4 pieces are finished, drop tablespoons full of filling every 3” apart. Using a pastry brush, run an egg wash border around filling 1” out. Top with another layer of pasta, press to seal, then use a cookie or ravioli cutter and form into disks or any other shape. Lay on a floured sheet pan and set in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil. Season with salt. Drop ravioli in 8 or so at a time. Boil for 4-5 minutes, drain and serve with marinara.

Zesty Marinara:

1 tbsp. EVOO

½ yellow onion, minced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Salt and Pepper

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. fennel seed

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

½ c. dry red wine

1 15 oz. can organic diced tomatoes

1 15 oz. can organic tomato sauce

1 6 oz. can organic tomato paste

10 torn basil leaves

In a saucepot over medium low, add EVOO, onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Sweat onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Turn heat to high, add red wine, reduce by half, turn to low, add spices and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add torn basil right before serving.