Sausage Vodka Sauce with Cheese Ravioli
I love vodka sauce, usually with some prosciutto and peas- that is your typical vodka sauce preparation. I wanted to cook it a little differently and thought of using Italian sausage in the sauce. I crumbled the sausage with the onion and garlic and cook it down so the flavor is present in the sauce. Also most restaurant and store bought vodka sauces have quite a lot of cream. I added half-and-half instead. It gives it the nice pink color and a creamy taste for a lot less calories. For those who are concerned about the vodka in the dish, it cooks off and is safe to serve to the kiddies. It is always nice to take help from the store to make your life easier! So I went to find fresh pasta and thought ravioli should be interesting! I bought some cheese ravioli, but I think you can really play around with the flavors and get whichever one makes you happy. A citrus salad and some more white Portuguese wine made the meal complete!
- 1 package store bought cheese ravioli
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 links Italian sausage, removed from the casing and crumbled or chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons vodka
- 3 tablespoons half and half
- Salt to taste
- Pinch of sugar
- Sprig fresh basil for garnish
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for garnish
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and golden about 4 minutes. Add the vodka and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook on medium heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Stir in the half and half with some salt and sugar. Stir in the basil and remove from heat.
In the meantime, bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the cheese ravioli and cook according the box directions. Strain the raviolis and toss with the vodka sauce and sausage mixture. Top with cheese and serve.
