Stuffed Eggplant With Ricotta Spinach Artichoke Recipe 425

BRAISED ARTICHOKES WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH STUFFING

Steps:

• Wash artichokes under cold water. Using a stainless steel knife, trim the outer part of the stems. Pull off the lower petals that are small and tough. Cut off the top inch of the artichoke then cut in half, top to bottom. Rub with half a lemon to preserve the green color. Put the oil, broth, garlic, lemon and herbs in a casserole pan. Place the artichoke halves in the liquid face down. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes until tender.
• In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, sun-dried tomatoes, 3 cloves of sliced garlic and spinach. Stir in the egg and about 6 ounces of cheese; season with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, oil, remaining slices of garlic, remaining cheese and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Remove the artichokes from the pan and carefully scoop out the chokes. Fill the cavity of artichoke with the cheese mixture and place on a baking pan. Sprinkle the tops with the bread crumb mixture. Broil for 5 minutes until the cheese is warm and the crumbs are browned. Serve with lemon wedges.

EGGPLANT BAKE WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Place eggplant cutlets on a baking sheet.
• Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Flip, and continue to bake until both sides are golden brown and cutlets are cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes more. Remove from the oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, and garlic together in a medium bowl.
• Place 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish and layer with 1/2 of the eggplant cutlets, 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, and 1/2 of the remaining sauce. Repeat layers with remaining eggplant, ricotta mixture, and sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through and bubbling, about 30 minutes.

STUFFED EGGPLANT WITH RICOTTA, SPINACH & ARTICHOKE RECIPE - (4.2/5)

Steps:

• Cut eggplant lengthwise then carefully scoop out the middle, leaving a small border all the way around the eggplant half. Drizzle the inside with olive oil, salt and pepper. Do the same with the scooped out eggplant, placed them all on a baking sheet in a preheated 400°F oven until tender and cooked through. When the eggplant is finished cooking, remove it from the oven to cool down. On another baking sheet place one 12-ounce bag of frozen artichoke hearts, a shallot and 3 minced garlic cloves, drizzle everything with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the 400°F oven until artichokes defrosted and tender. Then place everything into a big bowl: the artichoke mixture, the scooped out cooked eggplant, ricotta cheese, red pepper, baby spinach, grated romano cheese, chopped parsley and basil. Pile the mixture high into the scooped out portion of the eggplant and place back into the 400°F oven until ricotta is heated through, about 15 minutes. For a finishing touch drizzle a rich balsamic glaze all over the stuffed eggplant.

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.

RICOTTA-STUFFED ROLLED EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE)

Steps:

• Set oven to 350°F.
• Spray three baking sheets, and one 13 x 9-inch baking dish with non stick cooking spray.
• Place flour in a shallow dish.
• In another dish place the slightly beaten eggs.
• In another dish mix together breadcrumbs with 1 cup Parmesan cheese (you should have three separate dishes).
• Season eggplant slices with salt and pepper.
• Coat each slice with flour, then in eggs, then in the breadcrumb mixture.
• Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on baking sheets.
• Bake the eggplant slices in three batches until the coating is golden, about 30 minutes (turning after 15 minutes) cool on the sheets.
• In a bowl combine ricotta cheese, 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, 1-1/4 cups Parmesan cheese, 1 egg yolk and 1 teaspoon dried basil; mix well to combine then season with salt and black pepper to taste (if you are a garlic-lover then you may add in 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder if desired).
• Spread about 3-4 tablespoons ricotta filling evenly on the eggplant slices.
• Starting at the short end, roll up the slices with the filling inside.
• Arrange the eggplant slices seam-side down into prepared baking dish.
• At this point you can cover and refrigerate the eggplant slices for up to 24 hours.
• Set oven to 350°F.
• Spoon the tomato sauce over the rolled slices, and sprinkle with about 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
• Bake uncovered until the rolls are heated through and the mozzarella cheese inside the eggplant rolls melts (about 20-22 minutes).

MAMA CHIARELLO'S STUFFED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut the eggplant in half and scoop out the center, leaving enough meat inside the skin so that it holds its shape when baked. Chop eggplant that has been scooped out of the inside; place in saucepan, cover with water and boil until very soft, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Salt and pepper the beef. Add the seasoned ground beef to the pan, and saute until all of its liquid is evaporated and the beef begins to brown slightly. Let cool briefly, and chop the cooked beef so that there are no large chunks of meat. In another medium saute pan over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and saute the onion, pepper and garlic together in the oil.
• In a bowl, mix together the cooked eggplant, vegetables, beef, herbs, 1 cup of the cheese, 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs and the egg. Fill the scooped-out eggplant halves with this mixture, dividing it evenly between the two halves.
• Top with chopped tomatoes, the remaining 1/4 cup cheese, remaining 1/4 cup bread crumbs, and season with salt and pepper. Place on an oiled oven tray or baking dish, and bake for 50 minutes. Let cool briefly; slice widthwise and serve.

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.