Beet Ravioli with Poppy Seed Butter & Basil

This is kind of a funky looking dish...white and red pillows with flecks of black seeds and green leaves. But, my oh my, is it delicious! And so easy! I whipped up a batch between classes for dinner yesterday, and I am planning to make more for dinner tonight!

I used four small, garden-fresh beets & basil that I got from the farmers market. I bought a bunch of basil a week ago Saturday, and it's still very fresh! I simply trimmed the ends of the basil when I got home and set the bunch in a tall glass of water. I leave the basil on the counter, not in the fridge. I change the water every couple of days, and the basil is still fresh & green!

Beet Ravioli with Poppy Seed Butter & Basil
adapted from Bon Appetit

2 large (or four small) red beets, rinsed clean

1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs

20 wonton wrappers

salt & pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)

fresh basil (about 6 leaves)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap beets individually in foil; place on baking sheet. Roast until tender when pierced with knife, about 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the size of your beets). Open foil carefully (steam will escape). Cool for about 15 minutes. Peel beets; finely grate into medium bowl.

Add ricotta cheese. Stir in breadcrumbs, thyme, & garlic. Season to taste with salt & pepper.
Place 8 wonton wrappers on work surface, keeping remaining wrappers covered with plastic or a damp towel. Place small bowl of water next to work surface. Spoon 1 teaspoon beet filling onto middle of each wrapper.

Dip fingertip into water and dampen edges of wrapper. Fold dough into a triangle over filling, pushing out as much air as possible and pressing edges firmly to seal (I used a fork to crimp the edges). Be careful, though, to not pierce to wrapper...you don't want the filling leaking out during boiling! NOTE: Ravioli can be prepared 1 week ahead. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet and place in freezer until frozen solid, about 6 hours. Transfer ravioli to resealable plastic bags.

Melt butter in small skillet over medium heat and stir in poppy seeds; keep warm.
Working in batches, cook ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until cooked through, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to a serving platter. Top with melted butter sauce, parmesan, and shredded basil.

I'm submitting this recipe to Archana's Kitchen for this week's edition of Weekend Herb Blogging. Speaking of...I'm actually hosting WHB next week (details soon!).