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Tag: ricotta cheese

Herbed Ricotta and Potato Gnocchi

  • 1 one pound russet potato
  • ½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ½ cup freshly ground Pecorino Romano
  • 1 cup plus more flour

Cook the potato till soft to the fork. Take the skin off and put the potato through a potato ricer into a bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg, thyme, chives, egg and cheese. Mix well. Gradually add the flour, one tablespoon at a time till the dough comes together and not sticky- try not to over knead the dough. Separate into four sections and roll each into ½ inch thick logs on a floured surface. With a knife, cut bite-sized gnocchis. Place on a floured cookie sheet and let sit for an hour. Make the sauce in the meantime.

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Marinara Sauce

  • 1 can San Marzano tomatoes (chopped or whole, if whole, crush them with fingers)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper as necessary.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the gnocchi for 2 to 3 minutes or till they float to the surface. Serve with marinara sauce and freshly grated cheese

Fresh Corn and Shrimp Pasta

Another corn recipe before they go away…

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 to 6 green onions, chopped
  • 4 ears of corn, taken off the cob
  • ½ pound medium shrimp, cleaned
  • ½ cup fresh ricotta cheese
  • Salt
  • ½ pound pasta, cooked and save 1 cup pasta water
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • Juice of half a lemon

Heat a frying pan with the olive oil. Add the green onions and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the corn kernels and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ricotta cheese, cooked pasta and half of the pasta water. Cook on medium heat, mixing everything, until the shrimp are cooked through. Add salt and taste for seasonings. Add the cilantro and lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Baked Sausage and Mushroom Pasta

Another one pot meal one can whip up in no time. I played around with marsala wine in this dish to give an extra yummy flavor… really good!

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 to 5 sausage links, casings removed and crumbled (I used with roasted garlic)
  • 1 10 ounce pack Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
  • Salt
  • ¼ cup Marsala wine
  • 2 cups fresh tomato sauce, homemade or store bought
  • ½ pound penne, cooked a bit less than al dente
  • ½ cup fresh full fat ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese, divided in half
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Add the crumbled sausage and cook on a medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for another 4 to 5 minutes. Add a teaspoon of salt and Marsala wine. Stir well and add the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and add the cooked pasta, ricotta cheese and ½ cup mozzarella cheese. Mix well, turn heat off and check for seasonings. Add parsley, mix well and transfer to an oven-proof dish. Top with the remaining grated cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and turn the broil function on and brown for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes and serve.

Spinach and Ricotta Meatless Meatballs

These meatless meatballs are perfect for Meatless Mondays!! And… they are simply delicious.. my daughter, the meatball aficionado, thought they were delicious! Mixture of ricotta, spinach and cannellini beans makes this delicious dish easy and very healthy… make it today!!

  • 1 cup full fat fresh ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 1 cup chopped frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out
  • 1 14 ounces can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 3 eggs
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, plus more for rolling
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • 4 cups fresh or store bought tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Transfer the ricotta cheese, parmigiano reggiano cheese, spinach, beans, eggs, garlic, parsley and basil to a large food processor. Process till a smooth paste is formed- about a minute or two. Take out in a large bowl and add the breadcrumbs, nutmeg and salt. Mix well and refrigerate for ½ an hour. Using a small ice cream scoop, form balls and roll in breadcrumbs and place on a lined cookie sheet- will make around 20 to 25 balls, depending on the size. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 45 minutes, turning the balls every 15 minutes. Take out of oven and place in a pan with warm tomato sauce. Heat through and check for seasonings. Garnish with grated cheese.

Mushroom Lasagna with Broccoli Rabe and Parsley Pesto

Great vegetarian lasagna!!!

  • 20 ounces Cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • Salt

Heat a frying pan with the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté on medium high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, till golden brown. Add the garlic and salt and sauté on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn heat off and keep aside.

  • ½ cup full fat ricotta cheese
  • ½ cup parsley and broccoli rabe pesto (recipe below)
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl and keep aside.

  • 3 cups homemade tomato sauce
  • 9 lasagna noodles (I use no-boil but the regular ones can be first cooked and used as well)
  • ½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 1 8X8 oven-proof dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spoon ½ cup tomato sauce onto the bottom of the dish. Dip and place three lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Add half of the ricotta mixture and evenly distribute on top of the noodles. Add half of the mushroom filling and top with three more noodles. Spoon ½ cup tomato sauce on top of the noodles, spreading it evenly. Repeat a layer of the remaining ricotta filling and mushrooms. Top with three more noodles and the remaining sauce. Top with the cheese and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes in the oven and take the top off. Bake for another 10 minutes and serve after resting the lasagna for 10 minutes.   Mushroom and Broccoli Rabe Lasagna

Broccoli Rabe and Parsley Pesto

  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • ½ cup Pecorino Romano, grated
  • 2 cups broccoli rabe, the leaves taken off and chopped
  • 2 cups parsley, chopped
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt

Transfer the garlic, almonds and cheese to a food processor. Pulse this the garlic and almonds are chopped. Add the broccoli rabe, parsley and lemon juice. Process till everything is chopped well. Slowly drizzle the olive oil while processing the mixture. Take out of the processor and transfer to bowl. Check for seasonings and add salt. Serve on top of any meat, fish or mixed with pasta.

 

Broccoli Rabe and Chorizo Pasta

Yum, yum, yum- that is all I have to say!!

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 links chorizo sausage, casing off and chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 1 bunch broccoli rabe, stems trimmed and greens chopped
  • ½ cup fresh full fat ricotta cheese
  • ½ pound rigatoni, cooked al dente with about a cup of pasta water
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • 1/3 cup dill, chopped
  • Salt

Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Add the chorizo and sauté on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes till the fat is rendered and the sausage is golden brown. Add the garlic and green onions. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broccoli rabe and sauté on high heat till the greens wilt down, about 2 minutes. Add the ricotta and rigatoni with about ½ cup of pasta water. Mix well and add more water if needed depending on the consistency. Add the parsley and dill and check for seasonings and add salt if required. Serve warm.

Herbed Cheeseburgers

These burgers are absolutely delicious… filled with herbs and something different- ricotta cheese. It makes a delicious , tender burger…. perfect for the grill…

  • 1 pound grass fed ground beef
  •  ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
  • ¼ cup parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup dill, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Cheddar slices

Transfer the cilantro, parsley, dill, jalapeno and green onions to a food processor. Add the processed herbs to a medium bowl. Add the ground beef, ricotta cheese, salt and egg. Mix well and form into 4 to 6 patties- depending on the desired size.  Cook the burger patties and top with cheese. Serve on Ciabatta rolls.