Being only 1 month and 12 days away from the wedding, John and I wanted to go on a date but not necessarily spend the money to eat gourmet food. I was really craving Ravioli Alfredo from Olive Garden but that mean is easily $15 just for me, and that's IF I get a water.Well Olive Garden, eat your heart out.
What you will need:
- Cheese Ravioli (although Lobster and Shrimp Ravioli would be quite delicious with this)
- Aged Sharp White Cheddar
- Aged Parmesean
- Gouda Cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Heavy whipping Cream
- Garlic salt, pepper and paprika
John's Smoked Alfredo Ravioli
This recipe serves 4 people
Start by getting a large pot. Fill it with water and bring it to a boil. Once the water is boiling, toss in the entire bag of Ravioli. We purchased the $2.99 Kroger brand bag of cheese ravioli. Keep in mind, once the raviolis start to float, that means they are finished cooking.
Next, get a large sauce pan.
In the sauce pan, pour 1 pint of heavy whipping cream and one whole stick of unsalted butter,
Once the butter has melted, you can start adding the cheeses.
We purchased:
Private Selection's aged New York Sharp White Cheddar
Private Selection's Can Gogh Gouda Cheese
Private Selection's aged and shredded Parmesan Cheese
**This is not the time to purchase cheap cheese, trust me. The extra $2 is well worth every bite.**
The White Cheddar and the Gouda came in little squares. Take 10 squares of Gouda and 8 squares of Extra Sharp White Cheddar. Tear the cheese slices into smaller pieces-- this will help with the melting process to make the sauce more creamy and consistent. Melt cheeses in medium/high heat.
Once the Gouda and Sharp Cheddar have been added, add 1/2 cup of the shredded Parmesan. It seems like a lot of cheese, but they compliment each other very well.
Next for the spices. You can apply to taste if you'd like. I would recommend adding the spices AFTER the cheeses. The parmesan is going to give it a salty flavor so of course you wouldn't want to add too much and ruin your dish.
1 teaspoon of Garlic Salt
1 pinch of Pepper
2 pinches of Paprika
Paprika? In alfredo?! YES. The Paprika really compliments the flavors in the Gouda and creates a nice, smooth, smokey flavor. Hence, "Smoked Alfredo Ravioli".
<---------Once all of the cheese has melted, how do you know you're done?
Well, leave it on the heat without stirring. Once you can starting to see a thin film covering the top of the sauce, tip the pan towards you and see if you can see the wrinkles in the film. This lets you know that the thickness of your sauce is perfect.
I'm telling you guys, this dish was phenominal. Who wouldn't appreciate a homemade Italian dish with aged cheese and deliciousness? That's what I thought.
Now go spoil your loved one, go!
