I’m starting to think I’ve been missing out when it comes to Trader Joe’s refrigerated pastas. I love the Ricotta and Lemon Zest one and I usually buy the cheese tortellini if I’m making soup, but I haven’t really explored the rest. I can now tell you, the Roasted Cauliflower and Cheese ravioli is very good. It’s even better with kale pesto.
Of course, Trader Joe’s sells kale pesto, but I like it with walnuts, so I just make it myself. It’s a perfect complement to the ravioli and gets you out of that, “Just throw some marinara on it,” mindset.
The key is to reserve some of that pasta water so you can make the pesto a little saucier.
If you want a little heat, you can add a little TJ’s bomba sauce or even add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the pesto itself.
Roasted Cauliflower and Cheese Ravioli with Kale Pesto
Trader Joe's Roasted Cauliflower and Cheese Ravioli stars in this simple pasta dish. I like to make the pesto at home, but you can always take the shortcut and pick up a tub at TJ's. This recipe makes 1 generous cup, and it's more than you need for 1 package, but you can always use it with penne for a great pasta salad.
Ingredients
- 5 oz. Lacinato (Tuscan) kale, washed, stemmed and torn into pieces
- 1/2 c. Trader Joe's walnut halves and pieces, toasted
- 2 garlic cloves
- Juice of half a lemon (~1.5 tablespoons)
- 1/2 c. grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 t. kosher salt
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 5-6 cherry tomatoes to garnish
- 1 8.8 oz. package Trader Joe's Roasted Cauliflower and Cheese ravioli
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, make the pesto:
Add the kale to the bowl of your food processor and pulse 8-10 times to start breaking it down. Add the garlic, walnuts, parmesan, lemon juice and salt. Pulse 8-10 times more. It should be starting to form a paste.
With the food processor running, pour in the olive oil and let it run just until it emulsifies.
Cook the ravioli according to package directions, ~3 minutes. Reserve 1/2 c. pasta water. Drain the pasta.
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 c. pesto with pasta water, 1 T. at a time until you reach your desired saucy consistency. You can always add more water, but you can't take it out.
Arrange the ravioli on a plate and dollop/drizzle the sauce on. Garnish with cherry tomatoes and extra parmesan, if using. Enjoy!
