Baked Manicotti

Baked Manicotti
From Jill Emmons
(Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen, Jan. 2007)

**Recipe makes one 13 x 9 pan of manicotti, may be doubled**

Ingredients:

1 package (16 leaves) no bake lasagna noodles (flat, no ridges)

Filling:
1 medium tub Ricotta cheese, part skim (about 15 oz)
2 cups shredded Italian cheeses (Romano, Asaigio, parmesan, mozzarella)
2 Tbs. fresh chopped herbs (basil, oregano) or 1-2 tsp dried Italian herbs
1 egg

Sauce:
½ lb. ground beef
½ cup diced onion
1 can diced tomatoes (approx. 14 oz)
½ large jar prepared pasta sauce (about 13 oz)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
Olive Oil

Topping: 1 cup shredded mozzarella or parmesan

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Mix all filling ingredients well, and set aside.
3. Sauté ground beef with a little olive oil (2 tsp) onion, garlic, Italian herbs, plus a dash of salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and pasta sauce, heat through.
4. Soften lasagna noodles in a bowl of hot water for 2-3 minutes (I microwave the bowl for a minute, then test to see if the noodles are flexible enough). Remove noodles one at a time from water and shake off excess before filling.
5. Take each lasagna noodle and fill with about 2-3 Tbs. of filling. Roll up like a burrito, place seam side down in a greased 13 x 9 pan. Continue with all noodles until used up.
6. Cover with sauce, top with shredded cheese, and bake for 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees until bubbly. Enjoy!

Spinach and Artichoke Ring

Spinach and Artichoke Ring
By: Doris Christopher

2 (8oz) packages of refrigerated crescent rolls
2 (6.5oz) jars of marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10oz) package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 cup (4oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 package (4oz) crumbled feta cheese with tomato and basil
½ cup diced red bell pepper
½ cup mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, pressed
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons (1/2 oz) grated fresh parmesan cheese

Making the Ring:
Unroll crescent rolls; separate into 16 triangles. Arrange triangles, slightly overlapping, in a circle, on a round baking sheet lined with parchment paper, with wide ends 4 inches from edge of baking sheet. (Points will extend off the edge of the baking sheet.). Roll wide ends of dough toward center to create a 5-inch opening.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (not convection)

In 2qt mixing bowl combine artichokes, spinach, mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, bell pepper, mayo, garlic and black pepper; mix well.

Scoop filling evenly over wide ends of dough in a continuous circle. Bring points of triangles up over filling and tuck under dough at center to form a ring. (Filling will show.). Brush with egg white. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves 6

“Yummy! 4 stars!!! Cliff and Rosanna love…”

Asparagus Lasagna

Asparagus Lasagna

9 lasagna sheets, fresh or dried
1 teaspoon olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
2 (8.5-ounce) jars sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 packed cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus 3/4 cup
1/4 pound pancetta, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 bunches asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons butter


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta or 2 to 3 minutes for fresh pasta. Drain pasta.

In a food processor combine the sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Pulse until the mixture is combined. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan. Set aside.

In a large skillet brown the pancetta until crisp. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, onion, and garlic and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add asparagus and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the ricotta, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a 9 by 13-inch baking dish sprinkle some of the sun-dried tomato mixture on the bottom of the casserole dish. Place some lasagna sheets, then half asparagus mixture. Next sprinkle some mozzarella cheese and some of the remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan. Continue for 1 more layer. Top with lasagna sheets, some sun-dried tomato mixture, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Dot the top with butter. Bake until the ingredients are warm and the cheese is melted, about 25 minutes.

6 to 8 servings

Spinach Custard with Gruyere Topping

Spinach Custard with Gruyere Topping
By: Williams Sonoma

High in Protein

2-3 Tablespoons fine dried bread crumbs
1 package (10oz) frozen spinach
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup chopped yellow onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 dry-packed sun-dried tomato halves, snipped into small pieces (about 2 Tablespoons)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup shredded Gruyere cheese
3 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Spray the inside of an 8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Lightly coat with the bread crumbs, then tap out the excess.

Thaw the frozen spinach, drain, then squeeze to remove all excess moisture. Set aside.

In a frying pan over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the spinach, tomatoes, ½ teaspoon salt and a grind of pepper and cook, stirring until all of the ingredients are heated through, about 5 minutes.

Spoon into baking dish. Smooth the mixture to create an even layer. Sprinkle the cheese on top.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Add the milk and mustard and stir until blended. Gently pour the egg mixture over the spinach filling.

Bake until puffed and golden, 30-35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 15 minutes.

Serve by cutting into large squares. Serve warm, or cover and refrigerate until cold before serving.

Serves 6

Eggplant with Tomatoes, Ricotta and Parmigiano-Reggiano

Eggplant with Tomatoes, Ricotta and Parmigiano-Reggiano
By: Rosanna adapted from Williams Sonoma

“Good source of Protein- Low in Cholesterol”

2 medium globes eggplant (about 2lb), trimmed
Kosher salt
6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped yellow onion (1/2 small yellow onion)
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 can (14 ½ oz) petite diced tomatoes with juice
¾ Tablespoon dried basil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Cut off the stem ends of the eggplant, discard. Standing it upright on the widest cut end, cut the eggplant vertically into 8 slices, each about ½ inch thick (each eggplant will yield 4 slices; each slice shrinks to half of its size by the time it is done baking! This leaves 4 end pieces to finely cho). Finely chop the outer slices, which are mostly skin, and reserve.

Sprinkle both sides of the 8 eggplant slices lightly with kosher salt and layer them in a colander set over a plate. Place a second plate on top to weigh them down and let stand for 1-2 hours. Rinse the slices well and pat dry with paper towels.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly brush both sides of each eggplant slice, using 4 teaspoons of the olive oil for all of the slices. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake them until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven.

Meanwhile, in a large, nonstick frying pan over medium heat, warm the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil. Add the onion and reserved chopped eggplant and sauté, stirring until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and their juice and the basil and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt and season with pepper.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a grind of pepper and stir to blend.

Have ready a shallow, 1 ½ quart baking dish, 7x11 stoneware rectangular baking dish. Place 4 of the eggplant slices in a single layer in the dish. Divide the ricotta mixture evenly among the eggplant slices, spreading it slightly. Top with half of the tomato mixture, dividing it evenly among the slices, then top with the remaining 4 slices of eggplant. Spoon the remaining tomato mixture over the top, dividing evenly. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella.

Cover the dish with foil. Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the eggplant is heated through, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with spaghetti and garlic bread.

Makes 6 servings

Simple Spaghetti:
8oz spaghetti cooked according to package direction (about 10 minutes once water is at a boil), drain.

In a separate skillet heat ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil to a sizzle (on medium-high heat). Add 2 large garlic cloves, minced and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Constantly stir and sauté the garlic and pepper flakes until the garlic is golden, but not burned, taking it off the heat occasionally to flip in pan. Careful not burn.

Add drained pasta and toss in infused heated olive oil.

Plate up a slice of the Eggplant, with a dollop of noodles, sprinkled with Parmigiano-Reggiano, and toasted garlic bread.