Sausage, Ricotta, Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Shells…and a 2019 recap

12/28/2019 by Laura Leave a Comment

Well here I am, a little over a year since my last post! I’m sure many of you are as shocked as I am that we are days away from a new year and a new decade. For those of you that have asked, yes I am still cooking, creating recipes and taking a photo of the results now and again. However, the routine of food blogging has been severely impacted by my other passion: fiber arts. I had the opportunity, this year, to take many classes, learn new skills and sharpen old ones. I currently have 3-4 knitting projects, 2 macrame projects and 1 very large weaving project underway! Next up, I want to learn to spin my own yarn. Thankfully, I am surrounded by like minded crafters, teachers and fiber options! I hope to add a Fiber Art page to this blog. I may even post a few things for sale.

Getting settled in a new community and a new home has been extremely rewarding, yet extremely time consuming. September marked the one year anniversary of our exit from the “big city” to our rural, peaceful, serene home. We completed many projects our first year: raised garden beds, a railing for the deck, lots of landscaping including over 25 trees, dozens of hydrangeas, lilacs, and rhodies, as well as new lawn. Those raised garden beds were stuffed full of veggies all summer. Some are still producing in spite of winter temperatures. We no longer have 5 stores within a mile of us, so our garden and our giant freezer are very important to daily life. I am looking forward to a slower paced spring and summer, with only one or two construction projects and a lot more time on the beach.

We routinely cook the recipes here on the blog. Sometimes I’m surprised by the ones that have not been posted, like these Stuffed Shells. They are really a fun, basic little pasta recipe that can be customized to your specific taste and diet. Easily converted to be vegetarian and/or gluten free with substitutions for the pasta, sausage and cheeses.

For the Stuffed Shells

1 box (12 ounces) jumbo pasta shells

4 cups marinara sauce, home made or store bought

16 ounces bulk Italian sausage: chicken, pork, or vegetarian

2 tablespoons olive oil

16 ounces frozen chopped baby spinach, cooked 3-4 minutes in the microwave (or steamed) and well drained

10 large mushrooms, stems removed, tops diced

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

salt and pepper, to taste

12 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese

2 large eggs

12 ounces shredded mozzarella, plus more for topping

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

Cook the pasta shells according to directions. Do not overcook, as they will be baked after being stuffed. Drain, cool, and lay out on a sheet pan lined with towels to make sure they are good and dry.

While the pasta is cooking, brown the sausage in a skillet, over medium heat. Move the sausage to a mixing bowl. Return the skillet to the heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, garlic to the pan and saute until veggies are soft. Add the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Move the veggies to the large mixing bowl.

Place the cooked, drained spinach on a towel, roll it up, and squeeze it well to ensure all liquid has been removed and spinach is dry. Add the spinach to the big mixing bowl.

In a smaller, separate bowl, add the ricotta, eggs, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Mix well. Mixture should be light and fluffy.

Add the cheese mixture to the rest of the ingredients in the large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. I find my hands work best. Make sure to break up the sausage well so there are not any big clumps.

Cover the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish with a thin layer of marinara sauce. Gently fill the shells with the sausage, veggie and cheese mixture, one by one, using a small spoon. Be careful not to tear the pasta.

Cover the pasta with the marinara sauce. Top with shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese. Cover the pan with a sheet of foil. Bake 45 minutes at 350′. remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.

Thank you for following my blog. Stay tuned for updated photos and a few new recipes in the coming year.

Wishing you all the best in 2020 and beyond.

Have a great evening,

Laura

Cider Glazed Pork Loin with Fennel – Apple Relish and Cauliflower Puree

02/20/2017 by Laura 1 Comment

When I made these Cider Glazed Scallops a few weeks ago, I knew immediately that I wanted to use the same cider glaze and cauliflower puree with pork. Pork chops, pork loin or pork tenderloin. I also love apple and fennel with pork, and knew the combination of the cider glaze and the apple-fennel relish would be spectacular. It was just delicious.

For the cider glaze, adapted slightly from this recipe

3 – 4 cups fresh apple cider

1 teaspoon minced shallot

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3-4 Tablespoons cider vinegar (I prefer Bragg’s)

Salt and pepper

Place the ingredients in a wide saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and allow to reduce to about 1 cup. This should take 15-20 minutes. Keep warm over low heat.

For the fennel – apple relish

2 sweet, crisp apples, like Honey Crisp, diced

1 large fennel bulb, sliced

1 large shallot, sliced

Sauté the shallot in a tablespoon of olive oil, in a large oven proof skillet, that you will cook the pork roast in. When shallots are slightly caramelized, add the apple and fennel. Sauté about 5 minutes and remove from the pan. Set aside while your brown the pork.

for the Pork

Preheat the oven to 375′

1 3-4 pound boneless pork loin roast

salt and pepper

Season the pork roast with salt and pepper. Bring the sauté pan you used for the apple relish to medium heat. Add a little oil, if needed. Brown the roast on all sides. Add the apple, fennel and shallots back into the sauté pan. Place in the pre-heated oven and roast approximately 30 minutes, or until thermometer reaches 150′ – 155′. Do not overcook it! The roast will cook a bit after being removed from the oven, while it rests.

While the roast is cooking, prepare the Cauliflower Puree.

for the Califlower Puree, again, adapted from this recipe

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into small pieces

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

Place the cauliflower in a large sauce pan. Add the chicken stock, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the cauliflower is done. Transfer the cauliflower and the liquid to a blender. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Return the mixture to the sauce pan and keep warm, over very low heat, until ready to serve.

To serve, slice the roast into 1 inch thick slices. Plate the cauliflower puree, the sliced roast and a spoon full of apple-fennel relish.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Thanks for stopping by.

Have a great evening,

Laura

Laura’s Baked Rigatoni

05/26/2015 by Laura Leave a Comment

“Life is what happens while your busy making other plans.” We both have a lot going on, leaving very little time for this piece of my heart. I will get back to regular posting soon, and I promise to end the year with a bang! Meanwhile, I want to share this quick and easy casserole with you. It saved us from expensive takeout Monday night.

After spending the weekend pruning, planting, mowing, trimming, mulching and composting, neither of us were anxious to grocery shop and then cook. After digging through the pantry and the refrigerator, we came up with this version of baked rigatoni. Not your typical Memorial Day fare, but a great week night meal. This recipe makes about 8 servings; enough to freeze for a future “I don’t feel like cooking” dinner. Enjoy!

Laura’s Baked Rigatoni

1 package Rigatoni, Ziti or Penne dry pasta (about 12 ounces) – cooked al dente, drained and cooled

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce, about 24 ounces

1 can diced tomatoes, drained, about 14 ounces

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 sweet yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 small eggplant, diced into 3/4″ cubes

2 lbs. Italian Chicken sausage

1 12 ounce package mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

2-4 tablespoons of olive oil

Prepare the pasta al dente, according to package directions. Do not overcook. Drain the pasta and let it cool in the colander.

Prepare a large baking dish / casserole by lightly spraying with oil. Pre-heat the oven to 350′.

Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet, over medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic, bell pepper and eggplant. Saute about 10 minutes, until vegetables are softened. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add another Tablespoon of oil to the pan and sauté the mushrooms, about 6 minutes, until soft. Transfer the mushrooms to the mixing bowl. Add the last Tablespoon of oil to the pan and brown the sausage thoroughly. Remove the pan from the heat and let the sausage cool down a bit. Transfer the sausage to the mixing bowl. Add the cooled pasta, diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, Italian seasoning and mozzarella cubes to the mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. Taste for salt and pepper and add accordingly.

Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Top with the grated parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake until bubbly, about 40 minutes. Remove the foil and cook another 10 minutes.

Enjoy with crusty bread and a crisp green salad.

Thanks for visiting. Have a wonderful evening.

Laura

In memory of our beautiful kitty, Phoebe.

Mozarella Stuffed Meatballs with Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce and Pappardelle

04/20/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

There are so many great recipes in Thomas Keller’s “ad hoc at home”, it is hard to choose which one to make next! With the deluge of “April Showers” here in Seattle, we are still into winter style, comfort food. As Dave and I flipped through the book, we decided to give the Stuffed Meatballs a try. That decision led to also making the delicious oven roasted tomato sauce. As always, we added in a few of our own modifications, to make this to our taste.

Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 1/2 cup minced leeks

1 1/2 cup finely chopped fennel

3 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

3 28 oz cans imported Italian tomatoes

1 Sachet made up of:

1 bay leaf

3 thyme sprigs

10 black peppercorns

2 cloves garlic, smashed

Preheat the oven to 350′

Combine the oil, onion, fennel, leeks and garlic in large oven-proof baking dish or skillet. Sprinkle with salt. Place in oven and bake for about an hour, or until the vegetables are tender and beginning to caramelize.

Stir in the red wine vinegar and the brown sugar and return to oven to another 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain the canned tomatoes. Coarsely chop half of them, and process the other half in a blender or food processor. Add the chopped tomatoes, the pureed tomatoes, and the sachet to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Return to the oven for another 1 1/2 -2 hours. Stir the sauce every 1/2 hour.

We ended up adding a jar of marinara sauce to this mixture at the end of 90 minutes, as I thought the sauce was more like tomato stew, than sauce. We also ran an immersion blender through the sauce, as it was really chunky. When we make this again, we will not drain the tomatoes as extra liquid was needed. The flavor is fabulous and roasting in the oven is a great technique.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves minced garlic

1 pound ground chuck

8 oz ground veal

8 oz ground pork

8 oz ground sirloin

1/2 cup dried bread crumbs

3 tablespoons fresh, chopped parsley

1 large egg

4 oz fresh mozzarella cut in cubes

Warm the oil in a saute pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook about 20 minutes to soften the vegetables. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Place the ground meats, bread crumbs, egg, parsley and cooled onions in a large bowl. Mix gently by hand until just evenly mixed.

Shape the meatballs into large round balls, about 3 ounces each. Stuff a cube of cheese into the center of each meatball.

Place the meatballs on a cooling rack set into a baking sheet.

Bake the meatballs for 15-18 minutes at 425′. Let the meatballs rest about 10 minutes. We added them to the sauce and kept warm on the stove while the pasta cooked.