Conchiglioni ripieni spinaci, piselli e ricotta - Spinach, Peas and Ricotta Stuffed Pasta

 

I like to make my conchiglioni on Sundays, to celebrate the conviviality of a festive day. 

I combine ricotta with spinach and green peas. I finish my mixture with Parmesan and nutmeg.

While preparing a simple passata sauce, I cook my conchiglioni pasta. I drain and arrange them in a large dish with a drizzle of oil. I fill them with the spinach mixture and place on the oven dish.

I cover the pasta with the passata

I sprinkle my pasta with Parmesan and dot it with ricotta before baking it. Its ready in 20 minutes. Everybody likes it! 

Conchiglioni ripieni spinaci e ricotta 

Spinach, Peas and Ricotta Stuffed Pasta

250 g conchiglioni (large pasta shells)
500 g fresh spinach, washed and chopped
250 g garden peas, frozen
250 g ricotta cheese
4 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon nutmeg
60 g freshly grated Parmesan
1 medium onion, finely chopped
600 g tomato passata
Salt and black pepper
Extra virgin oil

Serves 4 to 5
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes

1) In a large pan, heat one tablespoon of oil and sauté the spinaches with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes on medium heat, until the water has evaporated. Stir frequently.

2) In a small pan, cover the peas with cold water, bring to the boil, add salt and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and add to the spinach.

3) In a large bowl, combine 200 g of ricotta with 50 g of Parmesan, stir in spinach and peas and add nutmeg and sage. Check the seasoning.

4) In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the onion with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes on low heat. Add the tomato passata and leave to a simmer for 15 minutes, covered.

5) Cook pasta in plenty of salted water, drain al dente and place in a large dish. Dress with a tablespoon of oil.

6) Preheat the oven to 180°C, with fan.

7) Grease an oven dish (25cm x 30cm) with butter and pour 3 tablespoons of passata over the bottom. Fill the conchiglioni with a tablespoon of spinach mixture. Arrange them on the dish - open side up – on one layer. Cover with the passata. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan, dot with the remaining ricotta and bake for 20 minutes. 

8) Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Crocchette di lenticchie rosse e zucchine - Red Lentil and Courgette Croquettes

Lentils are my favourite pulse. No need to soak, quick to cook, versatile. I eat them at least twice a week, always in a different recipe. Today I combine my lentils with courgettes and make croquettes. You can have them as a snack, as a main course for a light lunch, paired by green salad; as a starter. Whatever you like. 

I use the red lentils, which are lighter to digest and quicker to be cooked than the other ones, as their skin has been removed. 

To start, I make a sort of Dahl, heating little oil in a pan where I sauté a chopped carrot and onion for few minutes. I add lentils and double quantity of vegetable stock and leave to simmer until just tender and dry, about 25 minutes.

I grate (in a large grater) the courgettes and sauté with a chopped  onion in little oil with a pinch of salt and a sprig of fresh rosemary for 5 minutes, on high heat. I want them golden and dry. You need to let evaporate the water to make a dry mixture.

In a large bowl, I arrange 200 g of cooked lentils (I keep the remaining for a soup) and I combine them with courgettes, ricotta, Parmesan, egg  and breadcrumbs. I mix through and adjust the seasoning.

I grease an oven tin with little oil and preheat the oven to 200 C. With my floured hands, I make boulettes the size of a ping pong ball and coat them with breadcrumbs. They are soft and slightly sticky, which is right. They'll become firmer in the oven. I arrange them on the tin.

I brush them on the top with little oil, before baking them for 10 minutes. I remove them from the oven, turn on the other side and bake for another 3 minutes.

I remove them from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. I like to serve them warm for lunch, with a green salad.

Crocchette di lenticchie rosse e zucchine  

Red Lentil ad Courgette Croquettes
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
150 g red lentils
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Sea salt and black pepper
300 ml vegetable stock
300 g courgettes, grated in a large grater
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
100 g ricotta
1 egg, lightly beaten
30 g freshly grated Parmesan
40 g homemade breadcrumbs
Extra virgin oil
Sea salt and black pepper
Serves 4 to 5 as a main dish
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

1. In a pan, heat little oil and sauté one onion and the carrots with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes.

2. Add 150 g of red lentils and cover with 300 ml of stock. Leve to simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender and dry.

3. In a frying pan, heat one tablespoon of oil and sauté the other onion with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes on medium heat.

4. Add the courgettes with another pinch of salt and the rosemary and cook on high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and dry. You need to remove all the water.

5. In a large bowl, combine the courgettes with the lentils, the ricotta, the egg, the Parmesan and the breadcrumbs, Season with salt and pepper. Your mixture will be soft and sticky.

6. Preheat the oven to 200 C, with fan.

7. Grease an oven tin with oil. With your floured hands mould a croquette, the size of a ping pong ball, coat it with breadcrumbs and place it on the oven tin. continue until you finish your mixture.

8. Brush with oil the top of the croquettes.

9. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the croquettes and bake for another 3 minutes.

10. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Gnocchetti di pane e ricotta - Bread and Ricotta Dumpling

Making dumpling is an easy and creative way of recycling the stale bread. 

Pasticcio di verdure e lenticchie

I am not a vegetarian but I eat less meat than I used to. I do not feel like having beef any longer. I find it heavy to digest. I'd rather eat chicken or fish, once a week. Sometime lamb, preferably stewed. That's it. Eggs, cheese and pulses are always welcome on my table. I definitely feel better, for myself and for our planet,  and I am not the only one. 

My clients in my cooking courses keep on asking me for new vegetarian recipes to refresh their repertoire. Pulses are the most wanted.

Here is my last creation.

Farro spezzato con pomodori e ricotta - Broken Farro with Tomatoes and Ricotta

Our eating has changed in the last few years. Today we all eat less than we used to and we tend to eat more vegetables, cereal and pulses, mixing them together in many different ways. Vegetable dishes become main courses at home and in the restaurants,  but we often lack of ideas.  

Parmigiana di melanzane a modo mio - My Aubergine Parmigiana

Parmigiana di melanzane is the perfect vegetarian main course to share with family and friends. It's not a last-minute dish but it can be prepared in advance and it is always delicious. Especially in the sunny season, when aubergines and tomatoes are ripe and sweet.

In my Parmigiana, I make few changes to the original recipe from Naples.

Crostata ricotta e arance - Orange and Ricotta Tart

I enjoy recipes that speak about friendship: they keep alive the pleasure of sharing.
My friend Carla gave me this recipe long ago. So light, delicate and easy to prepare that it soon became my favourite tart. I often made it at home, I gave the recipes to my friends and taught how to prepare it in the cooking courses I have been running with Carla in Richmond for years. 

Then, I stopped, as I switched into new ideas. 

Gnocchi di semolino e ricotta su letto di spinaci - Semolina Gnocchi on a Spinach Bed

Making gnocchi gives me the great feeling of creating a dish out of a mixture of plain ingredients. I like to experiment with new combinations and different shapes.

Crespelle Funghi e Melanzane - Mushroom and Aubergine Crespelle

I love mushrooms. I love picking them in the wood, I love cooking and combining them with pasta, ravioli, risotto, polenta or simply scramble eggs. Mushrooms, especially the wild ones, bring an earthy flavour to the table. 

Malfatti Burro e Salvia - Butter and Sage Malfatti Gnocchi

"Malfatti" are spinach and ricotta gnocchi (dumplings) from Lombardy, which come out in slightly different shapes. In fact, "malfatti" literally means "badly formed", to enhance their rustic  appearance.
Quick and easy to make, kids and grown-ups love them, they are a good alternative to pasta. They are delicious simply dressed with butter and sage.

Polpettone Ripieno - Meatloaf Filled with Greens

Polpettone is a meatloaf I like to fill with vegetables, cheese and ham, and serve with roast potatoes.