My 8th-grade health teacher once told me that pasta fights depression.
I believed her, largely because she taught the eldest middle schoolers exclusively, and she only taught health. In my mind, she had to know her stuff, since health was typically a side project my gym teachers begrudgingly took on.
I haven’t had much luck finding research to back up her claims, but I must say: a great pasta dinner can put a smile to anyone’s face. It’s especially true if you use whole-wheat pasta and enrich your sauce with some chopped veggies — it adds a gentle crunch and enlivens the flavor a bit.
This simple dish is an easy way to impress new roomies with a homemade-tasting meal (because, let’s face it: during the late nights of that first week, we all miss home), and it hardly takes any effort or real cooking skills. Plus, it only dirties one pot!
Utensils required: cutting board, knife, pot, ladle, colander, stovetop, oven mitts
Ingredients (makes 5-6 servings):
- Package mushroom ravioli (or cheese, if you prefer it)
- 1 jar vodka sauce
- 1 package premade sausage (I used Italian red pepper)
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/2 can pitted black olives
Time commitment: 20 minutes
Cost per serving: roughly $2.06-$2.48
Steps:
1. Boil the ravioli according to the package’s instructions. (See, I told you it was easy!)
2. While the ravioli boils, dice the red peppers and olives, and set them aside. Then slice the sausage into coins.
3. Next, strain the ravioli in a colander, and pour about 5 tablespoons of fresh water into the pot. Put it on the stovetop on medium heat and gently add in the sausage. Cook it according to the package’s instructions — typically about 8-10 minutes — stirring occasionally, until the sausage is no longer pink.
4. Now strain the sausage and set it aside. If there’s still water in the pot, leave it. Otherwise, add 2 tablespoons of water and dump in the veggies.
5. Stir them frequently so they don’t stick to the pan, and after about 2 minutes, pour in the jar of vodka sauce. Now you’re ready to add the sausage back in. You’re just cooking this long enough to heat the sauce, so after about 3 or 4 minutes, feel free to turn off the stovetop and serve it a heaping ladle-ful atop the ravioli.
NOTE: If you make this in advance, store the sauce and ravioli separately so the pasta doesn’t turn mushy. You can combine the two into a resealable container for lunch on-the-go just before you head off to class/work/your internship/late-night-cram-a-thon.