Stuffed Zucchini Bites With Spinach And Ricotta Recipes

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.

RICOTTA STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Scoop out the seeds of each zucchini half with a spoon. Season the hollowed-out halves with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper.
• Mix together the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper in a bowl. Divide cheese mixture between four zucchini halves. Arrange stuffed zucchini on greased baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven until zucchini is tender and filling is beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

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.

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.

STUFFED SHELLS WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH (BY GERTC96 & 2BLEU)

Steps:

• In a saute pan over medium-high heat, fry bacon till crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels.
• Melt butter in the pan with the bacon grease. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and saute' until just soft.
• Add spinach and green onions. Saute for 3-5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set spinach mixture into a mesh strainer to drain.
• In large bowl, combine, ricotta, mozarella, egg, parsley, tarragon. Season with more salt/pepper to taste. Add spinach mixture to the ricotta mixture and mix well.
• Spread tomato sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Spoon spinach/cheese mixture into the cooked shells. Place filled shells into the baking dish and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. NOTE: If you have leftover filling, place it in a ramekin or small baking dish and bake along side of the shells. It's delicious!

SPINACH STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the bread cubes, spinach, parsley, tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt and thyme; set aside., Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds, leaving a 1/4-in. shell. Spoon about 6 tablespoons beef mixture into each zucchini half. , Place in two ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. Pour 1/2 cup water into each dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until zucchini is tender.

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.

SPINACH ZUCCHINI RICOTTA QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Mix in spinach and sauté until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add zucchini and continue to cook until almost all liquid from spinach evaporates, about 3-4 minutes.Set aside to cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Mix in eggs. Add cooled spinach mixture; blend well.
• Spoon cheese mixture into pie crust and smooth the top. Bake until filling is set in center and brown on top, about 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut pie into wedges.

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.