Smoked Mozzarella Raviolis

This meal should be super easy since all I have to do is heat and serve! Well ok let me rephrase that, all hubby has to do is heat and serve. Then I'll re-heat and eat myself.

Menu: Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli's w/Giada's Homemade Marinara Sauce, side salad and crunchy garlic bread.

Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli's with
Giada's Homemade Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:
Frozen Ravioli's
Giada's Marinara Sauce (that we made last night)

1. Bring a large pot to boil, carefully add the ravioli's and bring the heat down. Don't want to boil to roughly.
2. After the pasta is cooked drain and return to pot with a drizzle of EVOO, so it doesn't stick.
3. Heat the sauce up in the microwave, times will vary according to your settings.
4. Plate the pasta and spoon just enough sauce over top. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and some parsley.

Side Salad: While the pasta is cooking get your salad together. Open a bag of romain lettuce (that's what I like), add some chopped tomatoes, maybe some onion or olives. Some feta cheese? A cucumber maybe? Mix well and dress with your favorite dressing.

Pop in the loaf of frozen garlic bread while the pasta is cooking and you're prepping your salad.

Crunchy bread, cool lettuce and warm gooey raviolis, what else could be better than this. Man I'm so hungry I could eat the whole pot!

Giada's Homemade Marinara Sauce

I found some great smoke mozzarella ravioli's at our local farmers market and I knew I couldn't just put my regular old Ragu spaghetti sauce on something so yummy. So I'm being adventurous and going to make a homemade sauce. We'll be eating the ravioli's on Tuesday night but in an effort to conserve time I'll be making the sauce Monday night.

Giada's Homemade Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves

1. In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame.
   

2. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
   

3. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
   

4. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour.
   

5. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead.
   

6. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)