Mediterranean Pasta

I absolutely love Mediterranean flavors and was craving some pasta! This recipe is really simple and is ready in the time it takes to cook pasta.

Ingredients:
1 Cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
1(8 1/2-ounce) can artichoke hearts in water, quartered and drained
1/2 Cup capers rinsed and drained
1 package of angel hair pasta
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Boil water for pasta. In the mean time heat olive oil in a pan large enough to accommodate all the ingredients including the cooked pasta. I find a 5 1/2 quart saute pan works best. On low add garlic to slightly cook for about one minute.

Once garlic is slightly cooked, (careful not to burn)add artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, capers and chicken stock. Increase heat to steam and soften the ingredients. Once liquid has reduced to half (about 5 minutes) add tomato paste to thicken sauce.

When pasta is a little shy of al dente add to the pan with artichokes and sauce. The pasta will continue to cook while you toss and stir everything together. Salt and pepper to taste, I also add crushed red pepper flakes. Serve with fresh cheese, either feta or Parmesan.

*I served a sliced chicken breast on top of pasta for those who wanted meat.

Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi

Although this recipe sounds intimidating and does require some time it is so worth it! This recipe is unbelievably good. The gnocchi came out so light and fluffy and not dense and heavy like some. You can make this ahead of time so I recommend trying this on a weekend!

Ingredients

2 ounces fresh spinach chopped

1 egg

1 teaspoons salt

1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (1 cup for recipe, ¾ cup reserve for dusting)

Pinch of nutmeg

 

Directions

1.      The recipe I adapted this from calls for imported dry ricotta cheese but I used regular ricotta it just requires some extra steps. Place it in a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. Refrigerate and let drain 3 to 4 hours to remove excess moisture.

2.      In a large bowl, stir together ricotta, egg, salt and nutmeg until thoroughly blended.  Add flour a ¼ cup at a time not adding more than a cup. You are trying to get it to resemble dough and not sticky but mine was still sticky. I don’t roll mine out so it still works.Spoon dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip or a large plastic resealable bag, and refrigerate dough at least 30 minutes.

(I added some fork marks)

      4. Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup of flour over a rimmed baking sheet or large cutting board. Remove dough from refrigerator. If using a resealable bag, cut a small hole in one lower corner of the bag. Pipe a 1-inch ball onto your fingers. Gently roll ball in flour until evenly dusted. Repeat process with remaining dough and flour. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

         At this point I froze mine as is on the baking sheet. After an hour or so cook (directions below) or if not cooking right away transfer to a freezer bag and can be stored up to 1 month.

Cooking

1.       Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and add gnocchi. Cook until outside of gnocchi is cooked and somewhat firm and the inside is still soft, 3 to 5 minutes. They will float when done. Using a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to a plate with a ladle full of your favorite tomato sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

   

Lasagna Roll Ups

Most are familiar with lasagna but this is a twist on the classic dish. I roll the ingredients up in the noddles instead of stacking them. It tends to stay together a bit more than my normal layered lasagna and is just as easy. Also try mixing it up by using different fillings, such as mushrooms or eggplant!

Ingredients-yields 2-4 servings

Sauce-
¼ lb ground beef
¼ of and onion (chopped)
1 tablespoon of minced garlic

16 oz of your favorite tomato sauce or your usual homemade sauce
*depending what you use may need to add some oregano or some basil to give it some extra flavor

Filling-
1 ¼ cups ricotta cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg (lightly beaten)

¼ cup fresh spinach chopped
8 lasagna noodles cooked
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese optional

Salt and pepper

Directions- Preheat oven to 375*

1.      Brown ground beef in a large skillet, add onions and garlic. Once browned add tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add a little salt or pepper or anything else if needed. Remove from heat, and spoon a little of the sauce on the bottom of the baking dish, to prevent noodles from sticking.

2.      Combine ricotta, parmesan, spinach and egg; season with salt and pepper. Lay out lasagna noodles and spread approximately 1/3 cup of filling on to each noodle. Roll up and place seam side down in a baking dish. Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella if desired

3.      Bake covered with tinfoil for 30 to 35 min. Last 5 min remove tinfoil. Serve hot and garnish with parsley.