When life hands you slightly wilted asparagus on its last leg, and a freezer full of ciabatta bread, you make cheese ravioli in a browned butter white wine pan sauce. Or at least that’s what I did, and it was surely one of my better decisions. Guys, I’m telling you, this whole “avoid the grocery store” thing is working for me. It’s forcing me to get creative with the stockpile of ingredients that I have on hand. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait for the day when I can go back to my spur of the moment grocery store trips. But in an effort to see things in a positive way, I’m loving my new use what you got motto. Case in point? This ravioli. I had one bunch of, on its last leg, asparagus that really needed to be used. Typically when it comes to asparagus, I roast it with a pat of butter and a little bit of lemon, just like my Nonnie used to do. Still,
I don’t often incorporate that method into many recipes. But then I got to thinking…pan-roasted asparagus with ravioli sounded pretty darn good. I also knew I had two loaves of crusty ciabatta bread in my freezer. Naturally, breadcrumbs came to mind. Lastly? Wine in the pantry? Obviously best used for a buttery white wine pan sauce. Yup, and there you go, I had my recipe all plotted out in my head… Did you enjoy your quick glimpse into my brain? Just be happy it was quick…any longer and you’d be stressed.
The details on these lemon butter cheese ravioli…
Start with the ravioli. Mine are homemade because ravioli was something I didn’t have on hand. What I did have was flour, eggs, and cheese, so I made my own ravioli using my trusty stand mixer and ravioli attachment. It’s pretty easy but it does take time, so I’m telling you all to use your go-to store-bought ravioli. Trust me, if I had a better store-bought option for cheese ravioli her in my mountain town, that’s what I’d be using. I recommend finding a simple cheese ravioli. Something with a tangy cheese filling like goat or gorgonzola would be delicious. But really just pick your favorite variety that you know you and your family will love. Once you have your ravioli situation sorted out, make the breadcrumbs. You can use fresh breadcrumbs or store-bought Panko bread crumbs. Then simply add garlic, fresh or dried basil, and plenty of parmesan cheese. While breadcrumbs may seem like a simple addition, they add texture to the ravioli, and they taste just like your favorite garlic bread. So. Very. Delicious.
Once the breadcrumbs are toasted, boil the ravioli, then move on to making the pan sauce. First cook the asparagus in a little bit of olive oil. Then add the butter and brown. Next add plenty of fresh thyme, a touch of lemon, and a good splash of white wine. That’s the pan sauce…SO GOOD! Now add the ravioli to the sauce, toss, and serve topped with the garlic basil breadcrumbs…does not get better, and so easy too.
And now the substitutions…
For the breadcrumbs, I took my frozen ciabatta bread and pulsed it in the food processor until it was a fine crumb. If you have day-old bread and a food processor, I would recommend taking the time to do this. It’s a five-minute step, but it’s flavor and texture are completely worth the extra effort. That said, good ole’ pantry friendly Panko breadcrumbs work amazingly well too, so use what’s best for you personally. If you don’t have asparagus in the fridge, you can really use whatever quicker cooking vegetable you do have. Spinach, broccoli, kale, frozen peas, or even shredded brussels sprouts would all work, and all would be delicious. And as always, you can swap the fresh herbs for dried. That always works wonderfully too!
To sum things up…
This recipe is all about the buttery white wine sauce, the asparagus, and those breadcrumbs. The sauce is buttery, a touch lemony, and herby too. It’s my favorite (spring) combo. Pan roasting the asparagus is a game-changer. The flavor stays intact, but the asparagus gets a little crisp on the edges…mmmm! And the breadcrumbs? As I said, they taste like hints of garlic bread mixed with your ravioli. They add that garlicky, basily, salty touch that keeps everyone coming back for seconds.
Looking for some other ravioli ideas? Try these! Brown Butter Brussels Sprout and Bacon Ravioli Brown Butter Lobster Ravioli with Tomato Cream Sauce
Lastly, if you make this lemon butter cheese ravioli with garlic basil breadcrumbs, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
