A Hard Day's Work: Easy Italian

This may sound frightening to some of you, but sometimes after a long day at work, all I want to do is cook. Yep. Most of my friends think I'm nutso, but I can't help it. Creating a fresh, fast, fabulous meal relaxes me more than eating bon-bons and getting a pedicure (ok, maybe not the pedicure, but definitely a close second). And the glass of wine required for cooking helps too.

This week, I whipped up some Ravioli Pomodoro that makes my mouth water just thinking about it. And what's even better? I had everything on hand already!

Here's how it went down:

I started by sauteeing some garlic in olive oil.

Then, I added two cans of diced tomatoes.

And simmered them until they became thick and reduced (about 10-15 minutes if you must know).

While the tomatoes simmered, I cooked some fresh ravioli (which happened to be chicken and mushroom) according to the directions on the package. Yes: I wholeheartedly believe in convenience friends!

Chopped up some basil from my pot in the backyard...

Added a bit of feta cheese to the tomatoes for a little tang and creaminess (you could add mozzarella or another fave of yours).

Throw in the basil and voila! You have a fantastic meal in a flash.

How easy was that?

And the best part: leftovers for lunch the next day, where your coworkers will take one whiff and ask, "What chi-chi restaurant did you eat at last night?"

Bon appetit!

Ravioli Pomodoro

Ingredients:

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

2 cans of dices tomoatoes

2 Tablespoons of basil, chopped

1/4 Cup of feta cheese

1 package of store-bought, fresh ravioli

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat; add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.

Add tomatoes and salt and pepper; simmer for 10-15 minutes, until tomatoes are thickened and reduced.

While the tomatoes simmer, cook the ravioli according to the package directions.

Add the feta and red pepper to the tomatoes until feta is slightly melted; turn off the heat. Stir in the fresh basil.

Pour sauce over ravioli and enjoy!