Let's face it: Not everyone has time to cook from scratch.
But using a mix of store-bought and fresh ingredients is a good way to make food taste homemade--an approach made popular by Sandra Lee from the Food Network and HGTV.
For today's Mushroom Ravioli with Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce, I doctored up a plain jar of pasta sauce with herbs and cream and used fresh mushrooms and fresh herbs for the filling. The biggest time-saver was using egg roll wrappers to make my own ravioli.
Look for the wrappers in the produce section of most grocery stores. A packet of about 20 squares (6-by-6-inch) is about $2.
If you don't use them all, you can freeze the rest up to 2 months for the best quality. I find it best to defrost them in the microwave and use them right away. The longer they are left to defrost in the refrigerator, it seems, the more they stick together.
You can use one wrapper to make two large ravioli. Cut the wrapper in half and place a mound of filling on one wrapper, leaving room to fold it over. Brush the edges with an egg wash and fold the wrapper over the filling. Press to seal. Cut into squares or use a biscuit cutter to cut into rounds.
Or place four mounds of filling on one sheet, visually dividing the wrapper in quarters and placing a mound of filling in the center of each quarter. Again brush all round the edges and close to the filling with an egg wash and place a second wrapper on top of the fillings. Press around the filling so it seals and doesn't split open when boiling. Then cut into four ravioli.
Mushroom filling
For the filling, use a variety of mushrooms and make sure to chop them small. I used a mix of shiitake and cremini mushrooms for a hearty and earthy flavor. For the sauce, add some fresh snipped basil to boost the flavor and half-and-half to give it a creamy texture.
When choosing a jarred sauce, keep an eye on the sodium. Many commercial brands have roughly 400 milligrams per half cup, but some that contain cheese have as much as 700 milligrams per half cup. I'd rather add my own cheese and control the sodium.
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