Squid Stuffed With Ricotta And Spinach Recipes

SQUID STUFFED WITH SPINACH AND RICOTTA CHEESE

Steps:

• Cut off tentacles so that you have just the body cavity.
• Make sure to keep it whole so you can stuff it without leaks.
• Reserve the tentacles.
• Mix together the ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, pepper, nutmeg,parsley and egg; set aside.
• Heat the oil at medium in a large heavy skillet or saucepan.
• Add the garlic.
• Stir and cook for a few seconds.
• Add the tomatoes.
• Bring to a boil and add tomato paste.
• Lower heat and add rosemary.
• Simmer sauce for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the sauce is simmering, stuff the body of each squid only about 1/3 full of the spinach/cheese mixture.
• If you overstuff them, they will explode.
• You might also want to poke a hole or two in the body of the squid.
• Fasten the opening of each squid with a toothpick.
• After the sauce has cooked, place the stuffed squid in the simmering sauce.
• Add the tentacles to the sauce.
• Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Then turn carefully and simmer for an additional 3 minutes.
• While the squid is cooking, melt the butter in a clean pan and toss the pine nuts in the butter until golden.
• Watch carefully; pine nuts have a tendency to burn.
• Lift out stuffed squid to a warm, flat serving dish with sides.
• Spoon sauce around and garnish with pine nuts.

SQUID STUFFED WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Clean the squid and chop the tentacles finely. Set aside.
• Saute the onion and garlic in one tablespoon olive oil and butter without browning, until the onion is soft. Add the tentacles and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spinach leaves and saute, stirring, until they are thoroughly wilted.
• In a mixing bowl combine the ricotta, egg, two tablespoons parsley and the cooked spinach mixture. Mix thoroughly and season with salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes to taste.
• Stuff the mixture into the squid -not too full - and secure the end closed with a toothpick.
• With the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, grease a rectanguler baking dish large enough to hold the stuffed squid comfortably in one layer. Arrange the squid in the dish and add the wine and tomatoes.Season with salt and pepper, and more pepper flakes if you like.
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the squid is tender and the sauce has thickened. If there is too much liquid, turn the oven up and allow the sauce to reduce. If there is too little, add more white wine. Serve with lemon quarters.

SPINACH-RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes; season with salt. (You should have about 4 heaping cups of sauce.)
• Make the stuffed shells: Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook as the label directs for baking, about 9 minutes. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Spread out on a baking sheet.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a large plate lined with a kitchen towel. Squeeze to remove any excess liquid, then finely chop.
• Put the spinach in a large bowl and add the ricotta, mozzarella, parsley, Parmesan, lemon zest, beaten egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir until combined.
• To assemble, spread about half of the sauce in the bottom of a 10-by-14-inch baking dish. Evenly fill the shells with the spinach-ricotta mixture using a spoon, or pipe it in using a pastry bag. Arrange the shells side by side, open-side up, in the baking dish on top of the sauce, then top with the remaining sauce.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake until heated through and the sauce is simmering around the edges, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until any shells or cheese poking through the sauce are lightly browned in spots, about 10 more minutes. Let sit 10 minutes. Top with more Parmesan and red pepper flakes.

SQUID STUFFED WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH

Steps:

• SQUID STUFFED WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH Do not overstuff the squid or they may split while they cook. Rice and braised fennel go well with this dish. Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃). Clean the squid and chop the tentacles finely. Set them aside. Sauté the onion and the garlic in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil Add the tentacles and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spinach and sauté, stirring, until it has wilted. Drain off any extra liquid and cool the spinach. In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, parsley, and the Mix thoroughly and season with salt, pepper, and hot pepper flakes. Stuff the mixture loosely into the squid and close the openings 5. Use the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to grease a comfortably in one layer. Arrange the squid in the dish and add the wine and tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and more hot pepper flakes, if you wish. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the squid is tender and the If there is too much sauce, raise the oven temperature and allow the liquid to reduce. If there is too little, add more white wine. Serve the squid with lemon quarters. Yield: 4 servings.

SQUID STUFFED WITH SPINACH AND HERBS

Steps:

• Prepare squid: remove intestine, eyes and the jelly bone from squid. Rinse well and cut of the tentacles.
• Clean rinse and chop spinach.
• Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté onion and tentacles for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add spinach and hers and sauté for other 10 minutes.
• Turn off heat and stir in rice, salt and pepper.
• Stuff the squid taking care not to overfill them and place in a baking tin.
• Heat olive oil and sauté onion and garlic.
• Add remaining ingredients and cook for 5-10 minutes.
• Pour the sauce over the squid and bake at 180°C/350F for about three quarters of an hour. Check the liquid from time to time and add more liquid (wine of water) if necessary.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI BITES WITH SPINACH AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Using a melon baller, carefully scoop out a little spot in the center of each zucchini round for the filling to sit, making sure to leave about a 1/2-inch "floor" at the bottom. Put the scooped zucchini centers on a cutting board, season with salt and pepper and chop.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and chopped zucchini centers and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms release their liquid and the zucchini start to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain off any excess liquid. Stir in the ricotta and season with salt and pepper.
• Stuff the zucchini cups with the filling and bake on a rimmed baking sheet until the zucchini is cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.

ZAVIOLI WITH SPINACH AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, and pepper together in a bowl.
• Grind basil, oil, and garlic together into a chunky paste using a mortar and pestle. Add pine nuts to the pesto; grind to the size of small peddles.
• Slice zucchini lengthwise into strips using a mandoline.
• Arrange 2 zucchini strips in the shape of a cross. Spoon some of the ricotta cheese mixture in the middle of the cross. Top with a dollop of pesto. Fold ends into the center to create a parcel, starting from the bottom end and moving clockwise. Secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining zucchini strips, ricotta cheese mixture, and pesto.
• Spread some of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Arrange zucchini parcels on top, spacing them 1/2 inch apart. Spoon a bit of pasta sauce on top of each parcel. Sprinkle Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until sauce and zucchini begin to brown, about 20 minutes.

RAVIOLI STUFFED WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Spoon the ricotta into a large fine-mesh sieve or a colander lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth or a basket-type coffee filter. Set the sieve over a bowl and cover the ricotta well with plastic wrap. Let the ricotta drain in the refrigerator at least overnight or up to 24 hours. Discard the liquid in the bottom of the bowl.
• In a wide braising pan or deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and scallions and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chopped spinach and increase the heat to medium. Season lightly with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes. Set in a strainer and cool completely.
• Stir the fresh ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, and sautéed greens together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the egg. Chill thoroughly.
• While the filling is chilling, make the pasta dough and let rest.
• Form and cut the ravioli according to directions on page 190. The ravioli should be cooked immediately or refrigerated up to 4 hours. (The ravioli may also be frozen: Place the sheets of ravioli onto a freezer shelf and freeze until solid to the touch. Carefully transfer the ravioli to resealable plastic bags or airtight plastic containers.)
• Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat. Slip the ravioli into the water a few at a time, stirring gently as you do. Cook until the edges of the pasta are tender but still firm to the bite and they rise to the surface, about 6 minutes after the water returns to a boil.
• While the ravioli are cooking, divide the tomato sauce, olive oil, and basil between two large skillets and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Fish out the ravioli with a wire skimmer or large flat slotted spoon, drain them well over the pasta pot, and slide them into the pans of sauce, dividing them evenly. Simmer, stirring gently with a spoon until the sauce is lightly reduced and the ravioli are coated. Remove the pans from the heat, check the seasoning, and add salt and pepper if necessary. Spoon the ravioli into warm bowls or onto a warm platter, sprinkle with the grated cheese, and serve immediately.
• Variation: Butter-Sage Sauce (Conditi all Burro e Salvia)
• Melt one stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter in a large skillet over low heat. (The heat should be low enough to melt the butter slowly, without its separating or turning clear.) Add eight to ten whole sage leaves and remove the skillet from the heat. Ladle out about 1 cup of the ravioli-cooking water before you drain them. Either fish the ravioli out of the pot with a large wire skimmer or drain them gently. Add the ravioli to the skillet. Pour in enough of the cooking liquid to make a sufficient amount of creamy sauce to coat the ravioli generously. Bring to a quick boil, then remove from the heat. Stir in grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

STUFFED SHELLS FILLED WITH SPINACH AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Fill a bowl with ice water. Blanch the spinach for no more than 20 seconds, just until wilted, and transfer to the ice water, then drain. Squeeze out excess water. Bring the water in the pot back to a boil and add the pasta shells. Cook al dente, about 10 minutes, and drain and toss with the olive oil. Set aside.
• Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop in the garlic. When the garlic is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the spinach and pulse to chop finely. Add the ricotta and the egg and process until well blended. Add 1/3 cup of the Parmesan, the chives, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse until well blended.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a large baking dish or two 2-quart dishes. The shells should fit into the dish in one layer. Fill each shell with a scant tablespoon of the filling. Arrange in a single layer in the baking dish. Top with the tomato sauce and cover the dish with foil.
• Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the heat, sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan, and serve.

BACON-WRAPPED CHICKEN STUFFED WITH SPINACH AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook and stir until it begins to brown, about 30 seconds. Quickly stir in spinach, and continue cooking until the spinach has wilted. Transfer the mixture into a bowl, and set aside to cool.
• Slice through the chicken breast horizontally to within 1/2 inch of one long edge, then open the meat like a book. Place each opened chicken breast in between two pieces of plastic wrap, and pound with a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/4 inch.
• Stir the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, and onion powder into the cooked spinach until blended. Evenly divide this mixture among the chicken breasts, then roll each into an oblong shape, like a burrito, tucking in the ends. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Wrap each breast with 2 strips of bacon, and secure with toothpicks. Place into the prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until the bacon is brown and crispy, and the chicken is no longer pink, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before removing toothpicks and serving.