Ravioli Salad with Black Olives and Pepitas

After a failed attempt at a post-marathon run this weekend in which all of my old injuries plus some potential new ones decided to rear their ugly heads, I did what any normal person would do.  And tried to drown my sorrows in peanut butter.

But really, as delicious as peanut butter is, it doesn't really solve any problems.  Sure, it tastes great for the first few spoonfuls, but then it starts to feel like a bad one night stand.  So then you, again, do what any normal person would do and attempt to throw it out of your room or out your window or whatever you do with those guys who you really just don't want to wake up to the next morning (no judgment).

(Not that I would know anything about this. Right now, the only one night stands I'm having are with my medical boards review book.  And that's more like a six week stand than a one night stand.  However, it will probably culminate in me throwing something out of my window.  Or in me hopping on a plane to San Francisco to restart my life as a fugitive/pastry chef.  So really...maybe they are pretty similar.)

(And no.  I'm not joking about that last part.)



So then it's about 6pm and you feel like you really need to redeem yourself after all the sleaze and Skippy Natural you've just endured.  This is when the skies open up and Heidi Swanson's new (gorgeous amazing must-buy) cookbook opens up in front of you.  And though you want to make everything all at once, I think we can all agree that it's a ravioli kind of day.

Oh yes.  Bad run, bad sex, whatever it is that ails you.  Stuffed pasta is totally the cure.

So ravioli salad it is.



You mix up that cilantro pesto, tear up those olives into little itty bitty pieces.  Mix everything together.

And upon taking your first bite, realize that someday there will be a good run.  Someday there will be a good guy.  Someday you won't have to remember which bacteria produce urease and which don't.

And right now.  There is a delicious ravioli salad.

It's enough to make life feel pretty damn good.  For one meal, anyway.



At this week's Eat.Live.Be. we are talking about what we can't live without in this healthy living journey.  I have a few things.  One.  You guys.  No, seriously.  You all keep me motivated to keep cooking good food and writing.  You make me happy.  You give me something to look forward to in every seemingly unending day of studying.  Love ya.  Two. Pasta. For very similar reasons.  A life without pasta is like a night without stars.  Or something like that.  And I know it gets a bad rep, but prepared the right way, it really can be good for you! Three.  My cookbooks.  I find nothing more relaxing than paging through a beautiful cookbook and finding inspiration within its pages.  I flip through one every night before bed.  So soothing.

So tell me, what do you guys need to have in order to keep you going?  And feel free to check out the other Eat.Live.Be. bloggers' must-haves!

• Sarah Caron from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
• Cate from Sweetnicks
• Chris Arpante – Melecotte
• Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
• Claire – Cooking is Medicine
• Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations
• Rivki from Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
• Claudia from Journey of an Italian Cook
• New Jersey Epicurean

And also...because I'm curious and because this fabulous website, SkinnyScoop, piqued my curiosity with a similar poll they have on their site...
   

www.skinnyscoop.com

I'll tell you my number if you tell me yours...

Ravioli Salad with Black Olives and Pepitas
Serves 4, adapted from Super Natural Every Day

1/3 cup pepitas, toasted
1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves and stems
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
reserved pasta water
fine-grain sea salt
1 lb fresh or frozen ravioli (I used two boxes of butternut squash ravioli from Trader Joe's!)
1 bunch asparagus, ends cut off and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted and chopped or torn

1.  Bring  large pot of generously salted water to a boil.  In the meantime, begin to prepare the pesto.  Combine most of the pepitas, cilantro, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice, and 2 tbsp of the olive oil and blend either in a food processor, with an immersion blender, or with a blender, until smooth.  At this point, you can either drizzle in another 1/2 cup olive oil (as Heidi suggests!) or do what I did, which is wait until your pasta is done and then add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to the pesto to loosen it.  Taste and add salt and more lemon juice, if needed.

2. When the water boils, add the ravioli and boil until they float or are cooked through.  About 1 minute before the ravioli are done, add in the asparagus.  Drain immediately (reserving 1/2 cup water!).  While the ravioli are still super hot, toss with a big spoonful of pesto and leave it for a few minutes just to let it soak in a bit.  Then, mix in the rest of the pesto, the olives, and the remaining pepitas.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

I am submitting this to:
Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Theresa of Food Hunter's Guide.
Meatless Mondays hosted by Chaya of My Sweet and Savory
Maniac Meatless Mondays hosted by Rebecca Jean of Midnight Maniac