Ricotta Gnocchi

It's been a long time since my last post. This post is to pay homage to my mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. My family and I have been so distraught by her diagnosis. Realistically speaking, while trying to help my mother as primary caregiver and caring for my youngest son who I have mentioned in the past has health challenges of his own, the last thing on my mind was updating my blog.

Alzheimer's is a devastating disease on both the person who is diagnosed as well the families and caregivers. The experts say that emotionally with this disease you grieve twice, but I have found that you can grieve regularly and when you least expect it. To all of you who have ever participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer's, I thank you.

This time of year brings back memories of my mom's garden tomatoes. She would have an abundant supply and needed to come up with creative ideas to use them up. Yesterday when I was harvesting tomatoes, inhaling the wonderfully fragrant tomato plant, I waxed nostalgic thinking of her. The aroma in the air also reminded me of her daddy (my grandfather Papa) who first introduced me to the smell of tomato plants and fresh basil in his garden on his farm.

As I grew up and had my own children, they would spend time with my mother, enjoying her home cooked Italian meals. One of their favorites was gnocchi. Mom taught my oldest son how to roll the little pieces of pasta dough off the back of a fork until each little piece had grooves to give them a good texture and to hold onto tomato sauce. He was very dedicated to help out his grandma because rolling out gnocchi is very time consuming.

When making up a batch of gnocchi, mom would add a little of this and a little of that and it would always turn out perfect. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a written version of her recipe, so I thought I'd share the delicious gnocchi recipe I tried out from Shelbi at Allrecipes.com.

I didn't have any garlic powder, so I omitted it. I also didn't have all-purpose flour in my pantry so I had to substitute it with bread flour. It needed more like 2 1/2 to 3 cups of flour instead of the 2 cups mentioned in the recipe, perhaps because I used Trader Joe's ricotta which is more creamy and smooth than the regular grocery store brand. Helpful hint--don't forget to drain the ricotta. I feel it is key. It makes for a very light and fluffy gnocchi.

Serve them with tomato sauce or perhaps try something a little different, like a brown butter sauce. I made a simple one using Kerrygold butter and grated Locatelli Romano cheese. You could even swap out traditional fresh sage leaves with fresh basil leaves.

Enjoy! :)

Stuffed Shells and Lasagna Roll-Ups

I mentioned in a previous blog about not having a kitchen sink. Well, the truth is, not only do I not have a kitchen sink, I can't even run two appliances at the same time. As you can imagine, this makes preparing complex, multi-step recipes a little tricky. Preheating my countertop oven and prepping ingredients at the same time isn't even an option. However, over the years I've learned you can accomplish just about anything as long as you have some creativity and a sense of humor.

Scouring the bathroom sink on a regular basis helps, too.

Today, I'm going to share two recipes that may look a little intimidating to cook one appliance at a time, but with a little patience, there's no reason it can't be done. If Paula Louise Cooks without a kitchen, so can you!

Stuffed Shells

1 lb box of jumbo shells

2 cups ricotta

1 egg (beaten)

2 cups mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup in reserve for topping)

1 cup of your favorite freshly grated cheese (1/2 cup in reserve for topping)

salt and pepper 

2 cups tomato sauce

drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

Italian Seasoning (pinch or two)

Non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees 

Cook pasta shells according to package directions (or a few minutes less because they will bake further in the oven). Set aside on a sheet pan to cool. 

In a large bowl, add ricotta, egg, cheeses, and a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir until combined.

TO ASSEMBLE:
Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Drizzle about a 1/4 cup of water into the casserole dish and then add a ladle full of tomato sauce (about 1/2 cup). Swirl dish until the sauce/water is equally distributed on the bottom. This is to help prevent the food from sticking or burning.

While holding a shell open with one hand, scoop in a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture and gently squeeze the shell until partially closed. Place in the casserole dish. 

After dish is full of stuffed shells, drizzle the remainder of tomato sauce over the top. Sprinkle both reserved cheeses over entire casserole. Drizzle with olive oil and crush the Italian seasoning over top. 

Cover with foil that has been sprayed with non-stick spray and secure tightly.  Bake for 1 hour. During last 10 minutes of cooking, remove the foil so the cheese will brown. 

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Lasagna Roll-Ups

1 lb lasagna noodles (You could use whole wheat or multi-grain, if desired.)

2 lbs ground sirloin

1 medium onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 16oz bag fresh baby spinach, washed 
1 egg, beaten

2 cups ricotta

1/2 cup garlic flavored croutons or more if you like the intense garlic flavor the croutons have to offer (crushed in a zip top bag with a rolling pin) or 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs of your choice (save 1/4 cup in reserve to add as a topping with reserved cheeses -- optional)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (save 1/4 cup in reserve)

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (save 1/4 cup in reserve)

1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesano Reggiano cheese

2 cups tomato sauce

On your hotplate or stovetop, cook and drain pasta noodles until al dente. Set noodles aside on a dish or cookie sheet to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the filling by sautéing the onion and garlic in olive oil until transparent. Remove from pan and place in a bowl. Next, brown the ground sirloin in same pan, drain. Lower the heat and add the baby spinach. Cook while covered until the spinach is wilted. Place sautéed onion and garlic back into the pan, add ricotta, shredded and grated cheeses (if you are a cheese lover -- feel free to add as much as you like), bread crumbs, and the egg. Stir until well combined.

TO ASSEMBLE:

Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Drizzle about a 1/4 cup of water into the casserole dish and then add a ladle full of tomato sauce (about 1/2 cup). Swirl dish until the sauce/water is equally distributed on the bottom. This is to help prevent the food from sticking or burning.

Cut the lasagna noodles in half as shown above. Line up the noodles on a sheet of wax paper. Place about an ice-cream scoop's worth of filling on one end of the lasagna noodle and begin rolling up. Place each roll-up in the casserole dish, seam side down. Once the dish is full, spoon tomato sauce over the top and sprinkle with reserved cheeses and optional reserved bread crumbs. The bread crumbs add a touch of crunchiness. It's entirely your choice to add them or not. I take turns with that option. If you choose to add them... I would toss them in small bowl with a little drizzle of olive oil before sprinkling them on. This gives the crumbs some extra flavor. Remember, there are no rules. You are your own boss. Be creative, don't be afraid to tweak the ingredients and make the recipe your own.

Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with non-stick spray, cover and bake in toaster, convection or traditional oven at 350 degrees F until the center is bubbly and the roll-ups puff up a bit. 

During last 10 minutes of cooking, remove the foil so the cheese will brown. 

Rustic Fall Dinner

The other day I was thinking to myself, self... do you know what you could really go for? Some good ol’ fashioned pasta and meatballs. It was then that I decided to announce it to the rest of the family and they all eagerly agreed. Move over outdoor grill... pasta and meatballs it is! It was scrumptious! Perfect rustic dish to celebrate the end of summer and the coming new season. If some of you out there find yourselves with leftover tomatoes from the garden or farmers’ market, this recipe would be a wonderful way to use them up. Just switch out the whole canned tomatoes for fresh. 

Pasta and Mini-Meatballs

1 pound of the best quality ground beef you can find (I like Whole Foods 90/10 sirloin -- you could also use ground chicken or turkey)

1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano 

1/2 cup freshly made bread crumbs (try not to use the boxed ones -- just throw enough slices of bread into the food processor to equal 1/2 cup and voilà! -- fresh bread crumbs.)

1 beaten egg

1/4 cup fresh chopped Italian parsley

2 tbsp extra light olive oil

28 oz can of Muir Glen Organic Whole Peeled Tomatoes (or your favorite)

3 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning (I like Earth's Pride Organics I found at BJ's)

1/2 cup baby spinach chiffonade (stack a bunch of baby spinach leaves, roll like a cigar and slice into thin ribbons)

4 garlic cloves (whole)

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Using the best tools on earth—your hands!—mix the ground meat of your choice, egg, cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper until blended, but try not to overwork the mixture or the meatballs will become tough. Shape into mini-sized meatball shapes. 

Add oil to an electric skillet (I use this one) preheated to 400 degrees. Fry, turning frequently until golden brown. 

In a blender or Ninja pour in tomatoes and whiz until semi-pureed (you want some texture). Add to pan of browned meatballs.

Throw in whole garlic cloves to flavor the sauce. Add tomato paste. Crush the dried herbs and sprinkle over mixture. Simmer until slightly reduced (approx. 30 minutes). At the last minute, toss in baby spinach (I add spinach for extra iron --- or you can choose fresh basil) and allow it to wilt before serving.

On a hot plate (I currently use this one), bring water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook for recommended package times. I like al-dente or to the tooth doneness. Drain and serve with the meatballs and sauce.  If you like, grate up some extra cheese for the top and drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil. Oh, don’t forget to remove the garlic cloves.

Some folks enjoy serving the meatball mixture poured over a warmed platter of piping hot pasta. My family prefers to keep the meatball/sauce mixture separate so they can portion off their own serving. You choose. Either way is fine. This meal pairs well with some crusty Italian bread. Perhaps add a nice crisp salad onto the table as well. Enjoy this meal as a sort of transition from summer to harvest time together with friends or family. If you are cooking for one and have a ton of leftovers, the meatballs freeze beautifully for up to 6 months. Simply take out of the freezer and thaw in fridge a night or two before serving. Enjoy!