Ravioli with Creamy Tomato Sauce

I think I've mentioned before that I really wanted Giada's Family Dinners. Well, for my birthday, my awesome friend Jennifer delivered! I couldn't wait to dive in; there are already a ton of recipes that I've bookmarked. Jen - thanks again - you are awesome!

First up is this Ravioli with Creamy Tomato Sauce. Holy moly - this dinner cooked up in absolutely no time, and was every bit as tasty as it was speedy.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds spinach ravioli or tortelloni
• 1 cup purchased marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
  

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add about 1/4 cup olive oil to the water to help prevent pasta from sticking. Add the ravioli and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain the ravioli, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Toss the ravioli with the remaining oil to coat.

Meanwhile, bring the marinara sauce to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking often. Whisk in the ricotta and enough reserved cooking water to thin the sauce to desired consistency. For a thicker sauce, use less pasta water; for a thinner sauce, add more water. Return the sauce to a simmer. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon 3 tablespoons of sauce over the bottom of each of 6 bowls. Arrange the ravioli over the sauce. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the ravioli. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and the basil, and serve.