Putney Pasta

All-Natural Gourmet Ravioli & Tortellini

CAPSULE REPORT: There’s no reason to drive to an Italian restaurant when you can keep fresh-frozen stuffed pasta this good in your freezer. Putney Pasta makes five flavors each of ravioli and tortellini. Two of the raviolis are as good as we’ve had anywhere, and—good news for less adventurous eaters—one of them is the Quattro Formaggio cheese ravioli, a flavor that will please just about anybody. Those who like it hot will love Black Bean and Habañero ravioli.

Putney Pasta calls itself “Wildly Creative Cooking.” Maybe when the company began, in 1983 in a horse barn in Vermont, its flavors were on the cutting edge, and the quality was cuts above most of the doughy, gummy frozen ravioli and tortellini on the market. By creating an elegant, thin-textured authentic Italian stuffed pasta that let the gourmet fresh fillings shine through, and using extra-fancy organic durum flour, Putney Pasta launched a premium frozen pasta line of fine-restaurant quality.

Since then the American culinary landscape has evolved: You can find a black bean or a butternut squash ravioli or tortellini most places. Today, Putney Pasta is not wild but simply delicious—accolade enough. We buy a lot of fresh ravioli, always in search of modern flavors. We are more often than not disappointed in their blandness. Retailers: Taste the brands you’re carrying now to see if you might do your customers a service by trading them in for Putney Pasta.

Ravioli

The ravioli are the stars of the Putney Pasta line (in Pastadom, ravioli, with more tasty stuffing, generally outshine their tortellini cousins). We are permanent converts to the Black Bean and Habañero and the Quattro Formaggio ravioli. It just doesn’t pay to pull out the pasta machine when you can buy products that are this good, and spend your time on another course.

Black Bean & Habañero Ravioli (photo at right). We’re in love with this Mexican-Italian fusion recipe with a hot habañero kick. You can cool it down with a soothing Alfredo sauce, or keep the heat going with an Arrabbiata. You may not make Mexican food at home, but you can celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a plate of these! They’re fat-free, soy-free and certified vegan by vegan.org
Butternut Squash & Vermont Maple Syrup Ravioli. In a holiday orange color, this flavor with a noticeable dose of Vermont maple syrup may be too sweet for some, but adding distinctive savory ingredients like toasted walnuts and fresh sage creates a carousel of flavors. You can top this pasta with a savory ragù or simply toss it with butter and grated cheese (the nuts and fresh herbs made it very special). You also can prepare it as a “dessert ravioli”—we’ve included a recipe below.
Cheese Ravioli. A pleasant ravioli stuffed with Parmesan, Ricotta and Romano, this is good for days when you don’t want stripes. Because the more flavorful, festively-colored Quattro Formaggio Ravioli is the better cheese ravioli choice.
Quattro Formaggio Ravioli. We love a festive, red-and-white-striped ravioli. You can enjoy these any day of the year, but especially on Valentine’s Day, Independence Day and Christmas. They’re among the best-tasting cheese ravioli we’ve had: The combination of four cheeses—Asiago and Romano along with the more mild Mozzarella and Ricotta—provide a delicious sharpness. Please, sir, we’d like some more!
Spinach & Feta Ravioli. We didn’t taste this flavor. Based on the success of all the other ravioli flavors, we’re willing to believe this flavor is A-O.K. We look forward to trying it and reporting back.

Tortellini

The five varieties of tortellini are not as exciting as the ravioli—but then, in our office poll, no one chose tortellini over ravioli as a pasta course. Tortellini are more compact, drier, and lend themselves to pasta salad and as an hors d’oeuvre for dipping. Due to the nature of the beast (less room for flavorful stuffing), the Putney Pasta tortellini are not as flavor-forward as the ravioli: Whereas the ravioli were so flavorful they didn’t require sauce—just a dab of butter or oil—the tortellini needed sauce to add dimension. We polished them off, of course, but will spend our money on the ravioli.

They’re available in Cheese; Mushroom & Gruyere; Spinach, Mozzarella & Walnut; Sun-dried Tomato; and Tri-color Cheese.

Ravioli Recipes

Here are two recipes that show how versatile Putney Pasta is. The first is a ravioli “Alfredo” that’s made even more glamorous than the standard Fettuccine Alfredo with a layering of blue cheese, walnuts and Port. The second transforms the Butternut Squash Ravioli into a dessert. While it sounds perfect for fall, there’s no need to stereotype food: squash, pears, apples and walnuts will taste delicious right now.

Ravioli Blue Cheese Alfredo Recipe

Ingredients

1 1-pound package Putney Pasta Cheese Ravioli
Alfredo Sauce* (purchase or make your own)
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
6 ounces white Port wine
1 tablespoon walnut pieces
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

*Alfredo Sauce is a butter and cream sauce flavored with Parmesan cheese. A good-quality cheese is paramount. To serve four, melt 8T (1 stick) unsalted butter (at room temperature) in a saucepan and whisk in 1 cup heavy cream, slightly whipped. Whisk or stir continuously with a wooden spoon until mixture is hot and slightly reduced. Slowly add 1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano until thoroughly blended. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and fresh-ground white pepper to taste. When Fettuccine all’Alfredo is made, the fettuccine is cooked in the same skillet in which the sauce is made. The original recipe was created in 1914 by Alfredo Di Lelio, owner of Alfredo alla Scrofa restaurant in Rome. In a restaurant setting, the hot fettuccine are tossed with the cheese, butter and cream and, as the cheese melts, it unites with the butter and cream to form a coating or “sauce” for the pasta. In Italy, “Alfredo sauce” and “Fettuccine Alfredo” are not common terms. Long before Alfredo created his sauce, Italians enjoyed fettuccine al burro, fettuccine with butter, or fettuccine al burro e panna, with butter and cream, both served, of course, with grated cheese. Alfredo just tweaked the recipe slightly. When butter was added both before and after fettuccine was put in the serving bowl for tossing, it was known as doppio burro, double butter. Di Lelio doubled the amount of butter in the bowl before the fettuccine was added, creating a triplo burro, triple butter, recipe: more butter made more of a sauce. The chef created the dish to entice his pregnant wife, who had lost her appetite. He served it with egg fettuccine, hoping that the “nutritious dish” would do the trick. Today, we know that a typical serving of the “nutritious dish” has 455 calories, 38g of fat, 291mg of sodium and 143g of cholesterol. But for people who love rich, creamy food, it hits the spot!

Directions

In a saucepan, bring Port to a boil and let it reduce by 50%. Lower the heat; add Alfredo sauce and blue cheese, stirring often. Cook ravioli according to package directions. Drain pasta and transfer to a bowl. Gently toss with sauce and garnish with chopped parsley and walnuts. Serves 4 as an entrée or 6 as a first course.

Butternut Squash & Vermont Maple Syrup Ravioli with Pears,
Apples & Walnuts

Enjoy ravioli for dessert with this dish.

Ingredients

2 9-ounces packages Putney Pasta Butternut Squash
& Vermont Maple Syrup Ravioli
4 tablespoons butter
2 apples, sliced with skins
2 pears, sliced with skins
1 bunch fresh mint
1 pint rum raisin ice cream
½ cup medium-size walnut pieces
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Cook ravioli according to package directions, drain and set aside.
Place sauté pan or sauce pan over medium heat and melt butter. Add apples, pears, cinnamon, and nutmeg and sauté until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add walnuts and ravioli and heat through. Place on plates or in shallow bowls. Garnish with fresh mint and rum raisin ice cream. Serves 4-6.

Check the website for more recipes.

HOW TO KEEP FRESH PASTA FROM STICKING
WHEN YOU COOK THEM

PUTNEY PASTA

All-Natural Frozen Ravioli and Tortellini

9-Ounce Package
$3.99
16-Ounce Package
$4.99

Available at fine food stores nationwide including Earthfare, Farm Fresh, Food Lion, Hannaford, Price Chopper, Ukrops, Wegmans, Whole Foods, Wild Oats. Check the store locator on the website for the location closest to you.

Putney Pasta
Red and white striped Quattro Formaggio Ravioli and
Butternut Squash Ravioli flank their tortellini cousins.

Prices and product availability are verified at publication but are subject to change.

PutneyPasta.com