Fusilli With Fresh Spinach And Ricotta Lidia Bastianich Recipes

FUSILLI WITH FRESH POMODORO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the packaging suggests, about 8 minutes. Drain well, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
• Using the large holes on a box grater, grate the flesh of the tomatoes, stopping when you are left with just the skin. Heat a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the grated tomatoes, whole basil and 3/4 teaspoon salt to the hot oil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes.
• Remove the garlic and basil stems from the pot and stir in the ricotta. Add the pasta followed by the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir to combine and coat everything in the sauce.
• Cook for another 2 minutes to finish cooking the pasta and thicken the sauce slightly, adding pasta water if the sauce ever looks too dry. Stir in the chopped basil and serve topped with additional ricotta and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

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.

FUSILLI WITH SPINACH AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• bring a large pot of water to boil.
• add kosher salt and pasta, cook until aldente.
• meanwhile add olive oil to skillet.
• add scallions and spinach, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, until wilted.
• mix ricotta, cream, nutmeg in a small bowl.
• stir into spinach and add butter.
• reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
• reserve 1/2 c of pasta cooking water and add to thin sauce, as needed.
• drain pasta, add sauce and toss.
• top with grated parmigiano reggiano, serve.

FUSILLI WITH SPINACH WALNUT PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for pasta.
• Pulse the spinach, basil, walnuts, garlic, and salt in a food processor. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Process to make a smooth paste, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Pour the fusilli into the boiling water, and cook until al dente. Scrape half of the pesto into a large skillet, and add 1 cup pasta water (no need to heat the sauce). Use a spider to drain the pasta and transfer to the skillet. Toss to coat the pasta with the pesto. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss with the grated cheese and serve.
• notes
• You can freeze the remaining half of the pesto for future use. Just pack it into a plastic container and pour a thin film of olive oil over the top. Thaw in refrigerator before using. Or you can cut the recipe in half, if you just want enough for 1 pound of pasta.

FUSILLI WITH FRESH SPINACH AND RICOTTA - LIDIA BASTIANICH RECIPE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Remove the stems from the spinach. Swish the spinach leaves in a large bowl or sinkful of cool water to clean. If there is a lot of sand and grit in the bottom of the bowl, change the water and wash the leaves again. Drain the spinach leaves and dry them well, preferably in a salad spinner. Stack several of the leaves and cut them crosswise into 1/4 inch strips. Repeat with the remaining spinach. You should have about 8 packed cups of shredded spinach. Stir the fusilli into the boiling water. Cover the pot and reheat to boiling, stirring once or twice. When the water returns to a boil, uncover the pot. Cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente- tender but firm- about 12 minutes.Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and steam the spinach until wilted but still bright green, about 3 minutes. In a small bowl stir the ricotta and half and half until smooth. Stir the ricotta mixture and the butter into the skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Drain the pasta well and return it to the pot over low heat. Add the spinach mixture and enough of the reserved cooking liquid to make a sauce that lightly coats the pasta. Toss thoroughly. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the grated cheese. Transfer the pasta to a warm serving platter or individual bowls and serve immediately.