In article >,
Steve Pope > wrote:
>sf > wrote:
>
>>That what they call it, we all know it's a layered casserole. I'm
>>wondering if anyone has tried it and if it's worth it for me to give
>>it a go. The unusual component is frozen ravioli, the rest of it is
>>constructed like a regular lasagna. Was it surprisingly good or not
>>worth the effort you expended making it?
>
>Since ravioli is either time-consuming to make, or more expensive than
>just plain pasta, it seems to me an incongruous idea to use it
>in a casserole. The idea of lasagna is you can make up a large
>volume of food cheaply and with not too much effort. Whereas the
>idea of ravioli is you've gone to some trouble or expense to come
>up with an interesting ravioli filling and it stands on its own;
>it doesn't need being smothered with typical lasagna ingredients.
>
>Until I hear more about this, I'm declaring it a non-starter.

I made a variant of a timballo (Ferrerese? I'd have to look it up) that
had ravioli instead of the original pasta layer per request at a
going-away luncheon for the guest of honor, who was allergic to onions and
couldn't eat the pot pie I had planned for everyone else.

The story I got was that her nonna had ravioli on hand one day instead of
macaroni when making her timballo and everyone liked the result. So
ravioli was used in that family from that time forward.

I used cheese ravioli because that was the price winner at Jetro when I
went shopping but I am told that mushroom are good with it. It
was topped with a cooked mixture of bulk Italian sausage, carrots, and
bell peppers, and quartered hard-boiled eggs. Lather, rinse, repeat until your
dish is full.

I mixed cream, pesto (I used basil), and Parm and poured it in. I think
1/2 cup pesto mixed with 2 cups cream? It made a lot. Then I topped it
with a crust and baked till it was bubbly and the crust was done.

It was a bit of work even with the crust (I used puff pastry because I
had it in bulk for the pot pies I was making for everyone else), the
pesto, and the ravioli premade (well, I was also trying to make pot pie
for 90 ...) but it was very good.

IME unless you are using a nice deep dish you aren't going to get a lot of
layers with ravioli. I got two in my French White casseroles.

It's definitely celebration food. (IE not for every day)

The leftover sausage-veg mixture was excellent with pasta (no lid needed
although the leftover pesto was great with it).

Charlotte
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