By Sean bought Fenway tickets. He told me over dinner on Tuesday with the look he gets when he's done something he's pleased about but is being careful not to oversell. "I got tickets for next Sunday," he said. "For the three of us." He paused. "Fenway."
Liam is sixteen months. I said this. Sean said he knows. I said the game is three hours. Sean said they have kid food. I said Liam would rather eat bugs than a hot dog. Sean said Liam has to go to Fenway because it's Fenway and also because he, Sean Donovan, has been waiting for this since the anatomy scan when he found out it was a boy. I said he would have taken him regardless of sex. He said yes obviously but "he is going to love it."
I made tacos on Tuesday—fish tacos with a lime crema—and we ate them and talked about the logistics and I watched Sean be excited about this in the particular private way he's excited about things that matter to him, and I thought: let him have this. Liam will probably last ninety minutes. It'll be worth it anyway.
The tomatoes have their first red one. The front plant, the big one—one tomato, fully red, hanging there on Tuesday morning when I checked. I called Liam to the window. He saw it. "Mato!" he said. "Mato! Mato!" We ate it on Wednesday—sliced, with salt and a little olive oil—and it tasted like everything we'd been waiting for. You can plant a seed and wait all summer and then you get a tomato. I've been explaining this to Liam. He understood the tomato part.
After we ate that first tomato — just salt and olive oil, standing at the counter — I wanted dinner to be something that kept that feeling going rather than burying it. We’d waited all summer for those tomatoes, and I wasn’t ready to hand them off to a heavy sauce or a long braise. This Summer Ravioli Salad is what I landed on: the tomatoes stay front and center, the whole thing comes together fast, and it felt right for a Tuesday when we were still riding the small high of Liam saying “mato” to a window.
Summer Ravioli Salad
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 20 oz refrigerated cheese ravioli
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears, or thawed frozen)
- 1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, sliced
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup shaved or crumbled Parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the ravioli. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook ravioli according to package directions until just tender, about 4–5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Spread on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, garlic powder, oregano, and red pepper flakes if using. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Combine the salad. In a large bowl, combine the cooled ravioli, cherry tomatoes, corn, roasted red peppers, and red onion. Pour the dressing over and toss gently to coat.
- Rest and finish. Let the salad sit for at least 5 minutes so the flavors meld. Just before serving, fold in the fresh basil and top with shaved Parmesan.
- Serve. Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled. Tastes even better after an hour in the fridge if you have the time.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 430 | Protein: 16g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 58g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 520mg