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I made Toasted Spinach Pesto Ravioli, Joanne Tucker’s winning recipe of the “Appetizers for Any Party” category of the 48th Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest. Crescent dough ravioli, stuffed with a spinach and pesto cream cheese filling, is then covered with panko breadcrumbs and baked for a creamy and crunchy appetizer.
I’m so excited! It is that time of year again. Time for the 48th Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest and Pillsbury is partnering with Food Network to share winning recipes and inspiring stories.
You may remember my Crab Cake Mac and Cheese Empanadas previously made as inspiration for readers to enter the 48th Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest.
This time Pillsbury asked me to make the Toasted Spinach Pesto Ravioli, which was the winner of the Appetizers for Any Party category.
JoAnne Tucker shared her family story with the recipe. “My mother has been entering the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest for as long as I can remember. I continued the tradition beginning about 15 years ago. In fact, when I call to check on my almost 85-year old mom each day, we greet one another by saying “Good Mornin’, Pillsbury!” So here I go again.”
JoAnne said that her family loves spinach on everything, including their favorite appetizer of a bread loaf filled with spinach and melted cheeses. They serve it with a tomato sauce dip.
JoAnne got her creative juices flowing to create a variation of this theme by using Crescent Dough Sheets to create toasted ravioli and stuff them with spinach, cream cheese, and basil pesto to give it a zing. She added a marinara dipping sauce to give it a nice finish.
Other winning recipes include Bejeweled Cranberry-Orange Rolls, Cookies and Cream Caramel Layer Bars, and Oktoberfest Pizza. To see all winning recipes, be sure to visit www.BakeOff.com, and try them for yourself to create new memories #madeathome and see which one is your favorite.
Also, be sure to tune in to The Kitchen Saturday 2/24 at 11am ET/10am CT on Food Network to see all the category winners’ recipes and find out who will be the grand prize winner of the 48th Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest!
You want to be sure to watch because:
- Four category winners will win a trip to New York.
- The grand prize winner will receive a kitchen makeover from GE Appliances, $50,000 in cash, and appear on an episode of The Kitchen, as well as in Food Network Magazine.
In the meantime, I highly recommend making this creamy, crunchy Toasted Spinach Pesto Ravioli. They are easy to make and are delicious.
Joanne created a creamy spinach filling with cream cheese and basil pesto. She made the ravioli from Crescent Dough sheets.
Then the ravioli are covered in panko breadcrumbs and baked for about 18 minutes.
The result is a flavorful crunchy ravioli filled with a creamy, cheesy spinach filling with a zing of basil pesto.
I think you will love these Toasted Spinach Pesto Ravioli as much as my family did.
Be sure to make this Toasted Spinach Pesto Ravioli for yourself and let me know in the comments below how you liked it. Don’t forget to try the other recipes as well.
Watch The Kitchen Saturday 2/24 at 11am ET/10am CT on Food Network to see all the category winners’ recipes and discover who will be the grand prize winner of the 48th Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest!
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Recipe
Toasted Spinach Pesto Ravioli
Ingredients
- 1 (9 oz) box frozen chopped spinach
- 4 oz cream cheese softened (from 8-oz package)
- 4 tablespoons basil pesto (from 7-oz container)
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (5 oz)
- 1 (8 oz) can Pillsbury™ refrigerated crescent dough sheet or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
- 1-1/2 cups Progresso™ plain panko crispy bread crumbs (from 8-oz box)
- 1 cup marinara sauce (from 24-oz jar)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray.
- Microwave spinach as directed on box. Drain well; squeeze dry with paper towels.
- In large bowl, beat spinach, cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of the pesto and 1 of the eggs with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until blended. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese; beat on low speed about 1 minute or until blended.
- Lightly sprinkle work surface with flour. Unroll dough on surface; if using crescent dinner rolls, pinch seams to seal. Press or roll into 15x12-inch rectangle. Using pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut rectangle into 5 rows by 4 rows to make 20 (3-inch) squares.
- Spoon heaping tablespoonfuls spinach mixture in centers of 10 squares. Top with remaining dough squares, stretching dough to cover filling; press edges with fork to seal. Place on 1 of the cookie sheets. For easier handling, refrigerate 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat remaining 2 eggs with whisk or fork. In shallow bowl, add bread crumbs. Set aside.
- Dip each ravioli into egg, allowing excess to drip off, then into bread crumbs, coating both sides of ravioli. Place ravioli 1 inch apart on second cookie sheet.
- Top each ravioli with about 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining pesto; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
- In small microwavable bowl, cover and microwave marinara sauce 30 to 60 seconds on High or until warm. Serve ravioli with marinara sauce.
Megan says
Using crescent rolls to make “ravioli” – brilliant.
Richa Gupta says
Wow this looks yum, perfect appetizer anytime!