Ravioli with Sausage & Brussels Sprouts

I picked up a magazine at the supermarket the other day that I could not resist. It was entitled Quick & Simple Cooking for Two.   It was not cheap, but in glancing through it, I saw quite a few recipes that I would probably like to cook so I bought it.

I am a person who likes to use what I buy and point in fact, I've only had it for a couple of days and already I cooked one of the recipes I had flagged in it!

 

Ravioli with Sausage & Brussels Sprouts.  Not only did it look and sound delicious, but it also used things that I already had in my house!

It also looked very quick and simple to make, plus I figured that I could cut it down again to feed only one person, Moi!   (I did so quite satisfactorily as you can see!)

 

What I ended up with was a dinner that was quite generously sized for little old me, and which was filled with color and flavor. It also only took a few simple ingredients, always a bonus.

And I could have it on the table in about fifteen minutes time, tops!  I could not go wrong! 

 

I did see a much more elaborate version of the recipe online here, but why fix what isn't broken?  This version I tried was absolutely delicious and I didn't feel it could be improved upon.

I think, if you try it, you will agree!  This recipe is perfect just as is! 

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE RAVIOLI WITH SAUSAGE & BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Very few, simple ingredients! There is nothing elaborate or complicated here.

• 8 ounces (230g) cheese ravioli
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 4 ounces (115g) Italian sausage, casings removed and discarded
• 6 ounces (170g) Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken broth
• grated Parmesan or Romano cheese to serve

 

I actually used Spinach and Cheese Ravioli for this, and it worked beautifully. I had been a tiny bit worried that the flavor of the spinach wouldn't work with the sprouts, but there was no conflict at all!  

I used part of a package of fresh ravioli found in the chiller cabinet in the shop. The rest I packaged into smaller serving sized zip lock baggies and froze for a later date.

 

I used PC "Free-From" Sweet Italian Sausage.  They are quite plump and nicely flavored. There are five sausages in a package. I used one for making the single sized serving, so two of them would work very well for the full recipe feeding two people.

The Brussels Sprouts I bought the other day were the size of a golf ball! I have never seen such large ones, but they were nicely flavored and worked well in this recipe where I was only going to be shredding/slicing them thinly anyways! 

 

For chicken stock I used some of the stock that comes in a small container that you can reconstitute to make larger amounts. You could also use powdered bouillon or bouillon cubes, stock pots, etc.

I did not need to use a lot of seasoning for this, except for pepper. If your ingredients are good quality, this is often the case. I happen to love lots of pepper in things and since I was making this only for myself, I could use as much as I wanted to! One of the plusses of living on your own.

 

HOW TO MAKE RAVIOLI WITH SAUSAGE & BRUSSELS SPROUTS

This was probably one of the quickest and simplest pasta dishes I have ever made!

Cook the ravioli as per the package directions, drain well and keep warm. (Generally speaking, most fresh pastas do not take long to cook at all.)

 

While the ravioli is cooking heat the oil in a skillet. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until it is browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes.

Add the sprouts to the pan and cook, stirring frequently for a further 2 minutes. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.

Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

Serve this sauce spooned over the cooked ravioli, sprinkled with cheese if desired.

 

I think that this is a dish that could very easily be doubled to feed more than two people.  Halving it made a very generous serving for just me, so I can imagine that doubling it would make a perfect supper for four people.

You could also add some toasted pine nuts if you wanted to add a bit of crunch and texture.  To toast pine nuts, I simply bake them on a small baking sheet in a hot oven (400*F/200*C) for about 8 minutes or so.  

Keep an eye on them as they can burn very quickly! 

 

There was a ton of things to love about this dish!  Not only was it quick and easy to make, but it was incredibly delicious!  I loved the variety in texture, colors and flavors.

I also loved the speed at which this went together.  In a week which is a really busy week I was really needing something that was not only simple to make but easily put together as well as being nutritious!  I could not love this more! 

If you are also an empty nester and looking for smaller, simpler meals, you might enjoy the following:

CLASSIC POT ROAST FOR TWO - Who says if you are on your own you can't enjoy comfort food such as pot roast without having to eat it for a week!  This smaller version feeds two people amply with just enough for one meal of leftovers!  And it's delicious, lacking none of the flavors of the full-sized version!

EASY CHICKEN PARM FOR TWO - Chicken Parmesan has to be one of my favorite meals.  Tender breaded pieces of flavor filled chicken topped with a rich tomato sauce and plenty of cheese. This smaller version is every bit as delicious as its full-sized counterpart!

Yield: 2

Author: Marie Rayner

Ravioli with Sausage & Brussels Sprouts

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 20 Min

A quick and easy supper made from packaged ravioli and a tasty sausage and sprout sauce. Its delicious!

Ingredients

• 8 ounces (230g) cheese ravioli
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 4 ounces (115g) Italian sausage, casings removed and discarded
• 6 ounces (170g) Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken broth
• grated Parmesan or Romano cheese to serve

Instructions

1. Cook the ravioli as per the package directions, drain well and keep warm.
2. While the ravioli is cooking heat the oil in a skillet. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until it is browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes.
3. Add the sprouts to the pan and cook, stirring frequently for a further 2 minutes. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
4. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
5. Serve this sauce spooned over the cooked ravioli, sprinkled with cheese if desired.

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