Ravioli, Butternut, and Chard Salad

I scored this awesome recipe from Kapowie (Mrs.Kapow) with the instructions to try it as the "resident" board veggie. Thanks to her, I had the opportunity to enjoy the richness of flavor this delish fall recipe provides. SO GOOD.

Okay, so this is how you kids can do it at home:

There are a few steps to get all the ingredients ready for "assembly".

1. Make butternut squash croutons. I just diced the squash small and cooked on low heat w/ some olive oil, salt, and pepper, then cranked up the heat to get kind of a crispy outside. I was pretty liberal w/ the salt and pepper.

2. Make ravioli. I used a frozen butternut squash ravioli. In hindsight, I might have searched a little harder for a different "fall" veggie ravioli because it might have added another flavor step to the recipe instead of more squash. I separated the raviolis on parchment paper so that they wouldn't dry together.

(my ravioli army)

3. Toast hazelnuts. Medium heat and more olive oil. How I love thee, toasted nuts!


4. Caramelize two yellow onions, thinly sliced, in more olive oil and a pinch of salt.

5. Slice your chard into ribbons. They didn't have chard in the grocery store I went to, and nothing very comparable looking, either. I chose some weird chard-y looking veggie called "daikon". I think. That's what she rung it up as, but she could have been clueless as well.

So then comes the assembly of the salad. In a big skillet, use . . . surprise, surprise, more olive oil. Add ravioli, then onions and the chard. Cook over medium heat until chard wilts (I cooked mine for about 6-8 minutes I think, but I didn't know what this "diakon" was gonna do.).

Then add the hazelnuts and about 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Gently fold in the croutons and some lemon zest (alas, I had to omit, for my lemon had gone bad. I'm sure it would have added something to it.).

Remove from heat. Serve garnished w/ chives (I used some green onion; it's what I had) and some more Parmesan cheese.

I was very discouraged w/ this recipe right from the start, just because of all the little parts to make the whole. However, once the prep was done (damnnnn youuuuu, butternut squash), I found that the same pan could be used for doing everything one at a time, and just used a bunch of little bowls. And, I'll just say, it was sooooo worth it. This is a recipe I'd make again, and I'm definitely going to make it for our office holiday "party".