Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Lemon Ricotta Bechamel

Tags

artichoke, cheese, Italian, lemon, pasta, ricotta, stuffed, vegetarian

I love stuffed shells, artichokes, spinach and cheese. This recipe is the perfect combination of all these things. Be aware that it is rich and gooey and delicious and certainly not low calorie. It is a great recipe for a birthday or anniversary celebration or for just any old day you want pure decadence on a plate. Artichoke and Spinach Stuffed Shells with Lemon Ricotta Bechamel

(a variation of a recipe in the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook)

The Shells and Stuffing:

• 18 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp butter, cut into pieces
• 1 large onion, diced
• 12 oz frozen artichokes, thawed and patted dry
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Black pepper to taste

The Sauce:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/8 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cups whole milk
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parsley or basil to garnish

Boil shells in salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and toss with a bit of olive oil to keep them from sticking together.

For the filling – In a heavy skillet or pot, melt the three tablespoons of butter and cook until it turns nutty brown, stirring occasionally. Once browned, add the olive oil then onion and saute until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add the artichoke hearts and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until completely absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Transfer the artichoke mixture to the bowl of a food processor. Add both the cheeses, the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pulse the mixture in the food processor until well chopped but with some texture.

For the sauce – Melt the butter in a saucepan. Once melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth. Add the milk one bit at a time, whisking continuously so that no lumps form. Add the garlic and bring to a simmer. Allow to cook for a couple of minutes to thicken. Remove from the heat and add the ricotta, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

To assemble – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour half of the sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 glass baking dish. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the artichoke filling into each shell, placing the filled shell seam side up. When each shell is full, spoon the remaining sauce over the shells. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the herb garnish and serve immediately.

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Rustic Manicotti

Tags

beef, cheese, food, Italian, main dish, manicotti, pasta, ricotta, sausage

Some days you just crave cheese, sausage, and noodles. I try really hard not to be an emotional eater but with these cold, miserably dark winter days it is hard to resist. I can’t wait for spring!

Rustic Manicotti (a variation of this Food52 recipe)

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 pound lean beef beef
• 1/2 pound spicy italian pork sausage
• 14 manicotti shells
• 1 (15 ounce) whole milk ricotta
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
• 2-3 garlic cloves, microplaned
• 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Good tomato sauce like Grammy’s Spicy Spaghetti

In a heavy skillet, brown together the ground beef and sausage. When some of their grease has been released, add the onion and saute until meat and onions are cooked through.

Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until they are mostly softened but are still firm enough to stuff without tearing to bits.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, the parsley, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Combine well.

Spoon out enough of your tomato sauce to cover the bottom of a 9×13 inch glass baking dish. Stuff each manicotti shell with the cheese and meat mixture. Cover the shells with the rest of your tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. Serves 6 to 8.

My First Attempt at Gnocchi

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browned, butter, food, gnocchi, Italian, ricotta, thyme

I have always wanted to make gnocchi. This recipe seemed pretty straight forward and they turned out pretty successfully, though next time I will make them smaller/boil them longer. They were a little raw inside but otherwise were very nice. Also, I didn’t brown the butter. I was distracted and forgot to turn down the heat. It started to scorch before it started to brown. Maybe next time…

Ricotta Gnocchi with Thyme-Browned Butter Sauce (from My Kitchen in the Rockies)

• 1 cup + 1 tbsp ricotta, discard any liquid that is contained in the package
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 oz Parmesan or Pecorino + some to garnish, freshly shaved
• 1/3 cup 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• flour for dusting
• 1/4 cup butter, unsalted
• Thyme leaves

In a bowl, mix together the egg, salt, and Parmesan cheese. Add the ricotta and combine into the egg mixture. Slowly work in the flour until combined, don’t over mix. Place a spoon full of dough onto a well floured board. Flour your hands and work the dough into rolls about the size of your finger. Cut the rolls into small pillows. Flour the cutting edge of the knife after each cut, otherwise it will also stick to the dough. Set each little gnocchi onto parchment paper until you are ready to boil it.

In a large pan, bring water and salt to a rolling boil. Add 8 to 10 gnocchi at a time (depending on the size of your pot). Stir once to prevent them from sticking. When they float, they are done (about 2 to 4 minutes).

In a heavy, light colored pan (read: non-stick), melt the butter. Watch it very closely  as the butter turns very fast from brown to black. Once the butter is brown, add the thyme leaves. Spoon over the gnocchi. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and thyme.

Honey-Glazed Grilled Plums with Ricotta and Thyme

Tags

dessert, gluten free, grilled, plums, ricotta, summer, thyme

This is the best dessert I have had in a while. Tasty. Delightful. Simple.

One Year Ago: Grilled Peel ‘N’ Eat Shrimp with Old Bay, Basil, and Lemon

Honey-Glazed Grilled Plums with Ricotta and Thyme

• 2 firm plums, halved and pitted
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup ricotta
• Several sprigs of thyme

Heat a grill to medium. Toss plums with the honey. Liberally brush a grill rack with oil. Grill the plums, flesh side down, on the rack until lightly browned (about 3 minutes). Turn and grill on skin side until plums soften and are warmed through (about 3 more minutes). Serve with the ricotta cheese and sprinkled with thyme leaves. Drizzle any left over honey over the constructed dessert. Serves 2.

Mushroom, Spinach, and Ricotta Stuffed Conchiglioni Pasta

Tags

Dinner, Italian, mushrooms, pasta, ricotta, spinach, Supper

The word conchiglioni originates from the conch shell which this pasta resembles. This large ribbed pasta is heavy enough to withstand the  stress of being stuffed and then baked without losing it’s taste and structure. If you do not have this pasta, you can substitute manicotti or even roll up lasagna noodles.

Fancy name, fancy taste, simple recipe (it is just a jazzy name for stuffed jumbo shell pasta).  There is so much potential for you to customize this recipe to suit your tastes. It can be made vegetarian (like I did here) or with meat (either Italian sausage or pepperoni). It has excellent presentation but is not very difficult to make.

Mushroom, Spinach, and Ricotta Stuffed Conchiglioni Pasta

• 1/2 box of a 12 ounce box of conchiglioni or jumbo shells
• 1 jar of your choice of pasta sauce
• 20 to 30 large  fresh button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 (15 ounce) container of ricotta cheese
• 1 box of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, roughly chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta to al dente. Drain and cool.

In a skillet with a little olive oil, saute onion, garlic, mushrooms, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper until onions are translucent. Add spinach and heat through.

In a bowl, combine the above ingredients with the ricotta cheese, mixing well. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.  Stuff each shell with an equal amount of the vegetable mixture and place seam side up in pan.

Top with pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake until bubbly and cheese begins to brown slightly.