Ravioli, Pancetta & Asparagus in Basil Cream Sauce

By Lindsay V
@SchnoodleSoup

Dress up frozen ravioli with a homemade sauce that takes your weeknight from blah to gourmet...

Hungry for more? Visit my blog, schnoodlesoup.com, for recipes, a daily laugh, and a ridiculously cute pup!

Rating:

★★★★★ 2 votes

Comments:

3 Comments

Serves:

Prep:

5 Min

Cook:

5 Min

Ingredients

14: frozen ravioli (or the serving size for 2, as based on your package)
1/2 c: neufchatel cheese
1/2 c: chicken broth
1/4 c: fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp: minced garlic
: pinch of minced onion
: pinch of crushed red pepper
1 tsp: white vinegar
6 slice: pancetta
8 - 10: asparagus, wooded ends removed and then chopped
: s & p

How to Make Ravioli, Pancetta & Asparagus in Basil Cream Sauce

Step-by-Step

1Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and cook pancetta until crisp. When done, move to a paper towel-lined plate and gently pat dry with another paper towel. Crumble with your hands and set aside.
2In a small sauce pot, combine Neufchatel – vinegar and place on low heat. Let cheese melt and flavors simmer for about 5 minutes. Whisk every so often to ensure cheese is not sticking to bottom of pan. Taste and season with salt/pepper if needed.
3Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. As this is heating, wash your asparagus. Trim off tough edges and then cut each spear into 3 – 4 pieces, depending on the size.
4Cook ravioli according to package instructions. Blanch asparagus in the same water. Since my ravioli only took ~ 3 minutes to cook, I threw the asparagus in at the same time. You do not want to cook asparagus more than 3 – 4 minutes or it will actually start to cook instead of “blanch”, so time this step wisely and according to your ravioli.
5Once ravioli is cooked and asparagus is blanched, drain in a large colander.
6Return ravioli and asparagus to large pot and toss with sauce. Sprinkle with pancetta crumbs and top with additional basil, if desired.