Showing posts with label Pasta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pasta. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Tilapia with Toasted Basil Butter Breadcrumbs


+ Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic White Wine Sauce

Or, as John and I called it, the tastiest tilapia we have yet to encounter...Seriously.

I've always enjoyed tilapia, but I've never had it like this. It was rich, flavorful, decadent and absolutely fantastic. In spite of that adjective overload, I'd use more if I could. I will hands-down make this again. I really think it would be a great dish for company, and hopefully I will have the chance to do that soon!

While the ingredients and preparation instructions may appear, at first, a bit lengthy, I assure you this is very doable for the average cook. I highly suggest combining the tilapia with the pasta and sauce listed below (and pictured!). They come together easily, including preparation timing. Enjoy!

[I adapted the tilapia from Jessica at How Sweet It Is and the pasta sauce from My Bizzy Kitchen (and one of my most popular posts).]

Tilapia with Toasted Basil Butter Breadcrumbs + 
Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic White Wine Sauce
Recipes adapted from How Sweet It Is and My Bizzy Kitchen
Serves 2 to 4

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Simple Spring Skillet


How's that for some alliteration? A big thank you to my middle school English teacher, Mrs. Pepe, who introduced me to Greek and Roman mythology, metaphors, similes and alliteration, which is easily my favorite literary element.

In fact...confession time... I secretly hoped I'd marry someone who had a last name ripe with alliteration opportunities for future children. Unfortunately, I've yet to find many "R" names I'm crazy about. I suppose a great husband is better than a name. :)

Back to this dish! This meal came together as I attempted to use all the produce in the fridge before it spoiled. Fortunately for me, it was a great success! I heard "yummm!" coming from table before I sat down, and I quickly snapped a couple pictures at John's insistence. We absolutely loved the lightness and freshness of this meal. Hopefully you will, too!

Simple Spring Skillet
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp
Serves about 4, depending on portions

Sunday, April 7, 2013

{Slow-Cooker} Bolognese Sauce



I have loved bolgonese sauce since I was little. I ordered it whenever we ate at California Pizza Kitchen, so it's surprising this is the first time I've attempted it myself. It was worth the wait, though, as this recipe was so, so good! I made some modifications, including omitting half and half and pancetta, as well as swapping ground turkey for ground beef. John and I both loved this, so I can't say it was missed - and it lightened it up. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Bolognese Sauce
Recipe adapted from Skinny Taste, via Jourdan Leigh in the kitchen
Serves 4-6, depending on portions

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna



Hey there! After indulging in tons of amazing meals on vacation, John and I were ready to get back to our normal, lighter fair. Well, we weren't, but our waistbands were - it was worth it!

Anyhoo... I saw this recipe on Jourdan's blog a couple weeks ago, and it sounded so flavorful - yet healthy! - that I knew I wanted to try it. It also seemed like the perfect dish to help get us back on track.

This recipe was so, so, so good! We loved all the veggies and how everything came together.

However...I will tell you that is a recipe I designate as "easy... but time-consuming." Chopping and roasting veggies, layering ingredients and oven-time add up, but it's not actually difficult. So, if you're looking for a fast recipe, this isn't for you. But if you're looking for an easy recipe and don't mind putting in some time, then this is definitely for you.

I highly encourage you to spend the time on this, because you won't be disappointed, and you're sure to have perfect (and healthy!) leftovers for lunch all week! 

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
Recipe adapted from For the Love of Cooking, via Jourdan Leigh in the kitchen 

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Linguine with Tomato Clam Sauce


This is a simple and delicious meal from the cookbook my wonderful mother-in-law gave me for Christmas. She knows how much I love having pictures of recipes, and this cookbook is filled with 1,000 recipes - AND all have a picture. Love it!

I made this recipe when we got back from vacation a few weeks ago. We didn't have much of anything left in our pantry or fridge, but we happened to have all the ingredients needed for this dish. It was very light for a pasta dish, and a nice, quick summer meal.

Also, apparently I was spent from taking so many vacation pictures because I only took two shots of this dish. Rest assured, you won't need step-by-step pictures for this simple dish.

Linguine with Tomato Clam Sauce
Recipe adapted from The Illustrated Kitchen Bible
Serves 4

Monday, May 7, 2012

Gnocchi with Chicken, Asparagus & Pesto


I made this recipe over a week ago, but have been so bad about posting. I got WAY too into my books, and left everything else fall to the wayside. I don't regret it though. I love getting caught up in books, and reading two 500+ page books in two days is a great feeling.

Back to the food though, right? This was super yummy. Light and filling, and we both gobbled up our shares. Not to mention it's done in under 30 minutes, and you can't go wrong with those meals, right? :)

I remember seeing something like this on Pinterest, but I can't seem to remember where or find it. If I find my inspiration I will be sure to link up!

Gnocchi with Chicken, Asparagus & Pesto
Recipe inspired by a Pinterest picture
Serves 3-4, depending on portions

Ingredients:
*1 package whole wheat gnocchi
*2 chicken breasts, cooked (I poached mine) and cut into bite-size pieces
*1/2-1 cup pesto sauce, depending on how much you like pesto!
*1/4 cup grape tomatoes
*1 bundle asparagus
*olive oil
*salt and pepper to taste
*Optional: grated parmesan cheese, for garnish

Preparation:
*Cut asparagus into fourths. Drizzle some olive oil in a pan, and toss asparagus in it. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook on medium for about 10 minutes, or until crisp and cooked through.  Add tomatoes in the last minute or so to soften.

*Bring a pot of water to a boil (I suggest starting this when you start the asparagus). Cook gnocchi according to package directions, about 2-3 minutes in boiling water. Drain.

*In pot, combine gnocchi, chicken, pesto, asparagus and tomatoes. Mix well and serve immediately, adding grated parmesan on top, if desired.



Dinner is served!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Alfredo


I saw this on Pinterest the other day, and knew that I had to make. As in, that night. Fortunately for me, I had all the ingredients on hand. Turns out? This was one of the best pasta dishes I've ever made. Now, truth be told, I don't cook pasta all that often. I come up with the occasional dish, but usually I try to stick to proteins with dinner dishes.

I adapted this a bit, based on our taste preferences. I didn't have the highest expectations, but it was so unbelievably tasty and packed with flavor. Not to mention, it really didn't take long to make. As in, less than 30 minutes. Top this with your protein of choice (salmon, do it!!) and you have a nicely balanced meal. I'm thinking next time I'll try to sneak in some veggies. Maybe asparagus or cauliflower? Let me know if you have any ideas!

Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Alfredo
Recipe adapted from Lauren's Latest
Yields 2 very large servings (we had leftovers)

Ingredients:
*1 jar roasted red peppers, rinsed and drained
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*1 small onion, diced
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 cup fat free half & half
*2 oz. goat cheese
*2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
*1/4 cup grated fontina cheese
*1/3 lb. whole wheat whole grain linguine
*salt & pepper, to taste
*2 good pinches crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation:
*Boil water in a large pot and cook pasta until al dente.

*In the mean time, saute onions in olive oil 7 minutes or until tender, adding garlic and crushed red pepper in the last minute or so. Pour in half & half, goat cheese, salt & pepper. Stir to melt goat cheese into sauce and keep warm over low heat.

*Chop peppers into large pieces and place into sauce along with parmesan and fontina cheese. Stir to melt cheese and remove from heat.

*Use a hand blender to puree sauce in the pan (option 1); or pour sauce into a blender or food processor to puree, then return to pan (option 2). Taste and adjust seasonings. Combine with pasta and serve immediately.

Note: I served this with some broiled salmon on top, and it totally took it to another level. Delicious! Plus, the added protein makes the pasta more sustaining. 

Onion, garlic, red pepper flakes | nonfat 1/2 and 1/2 | fontina + parmesan + roasted red peppers
mixing it all up | blended and ready!

Dinner...pictures don't do the taste justice.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Healthy Pasta Bowl


Hey there! If you saw my WIAW post yesterday you already know what's in store for you here. A super easy, filling and healthy pasta bowl! I was inspired by Julie's lunch the other day, and am so glad that I whipped this up. I've had it for dinner twice and lunch twice and I'm still not sick of it. This might be a new go-to for me when I don't want to do a bunch work and when I want leftovers for the week.

I love this so much because it's packed with whole grains, protein, veggies and, of course, a little bit of cheese (only a bit, I promise!). It keeps you full for a long time, without making you feel stuffed or uncomfortable like most pasta dishes can. So, whip this up and enjoy a super filling meal!

On a side note, you're welcome to use any kind of chicken sausage, but I absolutely fell in love with the smoked apple chardonnay chicken sausage from Trader Joe's. I immediately went out and bought some more the day after I made this. I highly recommend it!

Healthy Pasta Bowl
Recipe inspired by Julie's lunch
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
*Four smoked apple chardonnay chicken sausages (or any other chicken sausage!)
*1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets and roasted (see below for quick directions)
*1 head broccoli, chopped into florets
*8 oz whole wheat rotini pasta
*a couple handfuls baby spinach
*1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
*olive oil
*salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
*To roast vegetables: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread out on sheet pans or roasting pans. Drizzle with olive oil and season as you'd like (I used salt and pepper, plus garlic powder). Cook for 15-25 minutes.

*Prepare pasta according to package directions. When you go to drain pasta, place spinach in the colander first. Pour the water over it, and allow the pasta water to wilt your spinach!

*Slice chicken sausage into bite size medallions. Cook on a skillet with olive oil, until slightly browned on each side.

*In a large bowl, combine roasted vegetables, pasta, spinach and chicken sausage. Place individual servings in smaller bowls. Drizzle a little olive oil on top and sprinkle with 1-2 tbsp parmesan cheese. Serve hot!

Forgive the fuzzy pictures...I was on the phone with my sister while snapping away from my phone!

Ta-da! Still just as tasty looking as yesterday.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Creamy Mac 'n Cheese


Where do I even begin? Um, this is amazing. So amazing I seriously considered calling this post "Aaaaaamazing Mac 'n Cheese." I really did. Obviously I didn't end up with that title, but it would so be fitting.

John has always enjoyed the homemade mac n cheeses I've made (Easy Beer Mac 'n Cheese, Baked Mac 'n Four Cheeses, Gnocchi Mac 'n Cheese), but he's still liked his Velveeta shells better. Well, I saw this recipe from Jessica, and I decided to try again to win him over. I changed a few things she did, mainly the ending. Instead of baking this, I left it all creamy and served it immediately. The result? A HUGE hit!! John went on and on about this, and I finally beat Velveeta. Woo!

I also found this to be fantastic. It was so, so tasty and a perfect weeknight meal. We each enjoyed a small bowl with a side of roasted green beans. And when John asked for this again two days later (after polishing original leftovers off for lunch the day before) I happily obliged, this time pairing it with individual mini meat loaves (recipe to come).

The ingredient list looks long, but only because there are four cheeses - and that is one of the reasons this is so darn delicious! I promise it's not as intimidating as it may appear. Same goes for the preparation instructions. Instead of paragraphs with several directions to go back to, I broke it down step-by-step.

I promise you will adore this! Make it, I beg you!

Creamy Mac 'n Cheese
Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is
Serves 4-6  

Ingredients:
*1/2-2/3 box whole wheat elbow noodles (you can use the whole box but it won't be as creamy)
*1 shallot, sliced finely (you can skip this and it turns out great, I did it both ways)
*2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
*1/2 teaspoon olive oil
*5 tablespoons unsalted butter
*1/4 cup flour
*2 cups milk (I used skim)
*1/3 cup mascarpone cheese (basically Italian cream cheese)
*8 ounces freshly grated gruyere cheese (about one cup)
*8 ounces freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese (about one cup)
*8 ounces freshly grated fontina cheese (about one cup)
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon pepper
*1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preparation:
*Grate cheeses, placing them together in a large bowl. Boil water and prepare pasta according to directions.

*Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in olive oil and butter, then throw in shallots with a pinch of salt. Stir to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes, until soft.

*Add in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

*Add flour to the skillet then whisk constantly to create a roux (a thick paste, if you will). Let cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

*Pour in milk, stirring continuously for another 1-2 minutes.

*Add in mascarpone and the grated cheeses. Stir continuously until mixture thickens, about 3-4 minutes.

*Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then tasted and season more if desired. Add pasta to the skillet and toss thoroughly to coat. Serve immediately.

Note: upon reheating the pasta may appear slightly oily. This is a result of the marscapone cheese. 

All the stages of cooking the mac n cheese
butter and oil | shallots and garlic | flour | milk | cheeses | pasta


All done! Look how creamy it looks...oh my. You won't go back to Velveeta!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Creamy Chicken & Spinach Tortellini Casserole


Last week I couldn't decide what to make for dinner. I had some spinach tortellini chilling in my fridge at the end of its shelf life (impulse buy!) and some chicken needing to be cooked. I decided I could make some sort of casserole, but then I couldn't decide what should be the base of this casserole...creamy chicken or tomato cream sauce. So, I made both in individual ramekins!

John and I went crazy of them. So much so that just two days later John asked me to make the creamy chicken version as a big casserole. Since I didn't get too many pictures during the first one, this was the perfect time to document this deliciously easy meal.

Oh, and did I mention that this is another recipe with only 5 ingredients (plus an optional sixth)?! It is so, sooo good and oh-so-easy. Casseroles are great that way. Let me know what you think!

Creamy Chicken & Spinach Tortellini Casserole
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp
Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
*one package spinach tortellini
*3/4 cup cheese (I suggest a cheddar combo)
*1 can cream of chicken soup
*2 chicken breasts, cooked (I poached mine) and cut into bite-size pieces
*2 handfuls spinach (about 3 oz)
*1/4 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs (optional)

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Cook chicken if necessary.

*In a casserole dish, combine cooked tortellini, chicken, cream of chicken soup, 1/2 cup cheese and spinach. Top with remaining cheese and bread crumbs, if desired.

*Bake for 25-30 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly on top.
 
All the stages of the casserole
Yumminess in a bowl!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Spinach, Cheese & Pesto Stuffed Shells




 While at the store getting Sriracha sauce for the best salmon ever, I bought some of those super-sized shells on a whim. I had a good amount of cheese leftover from the five-cheese pizza I made the other night, not to mention spinach and pesto from making stuffed pork tenderloin and mexican flatbread pizza. Long story short, I figured I could make up something with these shells.

I did a little browsing of stuffed shells recipes, but I didn't find any that reached out to me. You all know I love my cheese, but I felt like every recipe had way too much of it. One of the things I love to do is to lighten up recipes that everyone knows and loves. Now, to be honest I don't know if I had eaten stuffed shells prior to this, but I had an idea of what would - or could - go into them.

I opted for adding some pesto to substitute all the extra cheese. The flavors meshed really well, especially when it was baked with my homemade ground turkey meat sauce. I promise you can not tell that it is missing ground beef! This was a really nice and tasty dish. We gobbled it up, and have leftovers for easy lunches and dinners the rest of the week. I love when that happens!

And in case you don't trust my opinion, I surprised another teacher at school with this for lunch (Happy Belated Birthday, Susan!). She said she loved it, and when I told her that it was all low or non-fat, plus was ground turkey instead of ground beef she was shocked! She said she had no idea she was eating the low-fat version. Happy dance! :)

Spinach, Cheese & Pesto Stuffed Shells
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp
Yields 22 shells; serves 4-5, depending on portions
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Ingredients:
*box of jumbo shells
*1/2 cup pesto
*3/4 cup fat free ricotta cheese
*3/4 cup skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
*1/4 cup Parmesan, shredded
*2 cups spinach, finely chopped
*3 cups marinara or meat sauce (I used my homemade ground turkey marinara meat sauce!)

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare large pot of boiling water. Cook shells until al dente. (I suggest adding a tablespoon of olive oil to water to keep shells from sticking together.) Drain and set aside.

*Combine ricotta, spinach and pesto in a bowl. Mix until well combined. Fold in mozzarella and Parmesan.

*Pour 1 cup meat sauce in a baking dish (mine was 9x13).

*When shells are cool enough to handle, stuff each shell with about 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture.

*Place shells into baking dish, on top of meat sauce. When all shells are in the dish, pour 2 cups sauce over the top.

*Bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve hot!

Pesto thawing | Spinach | First mixture | Plus extra cheese

Sauce layer 1 | Shells on top of sauce | Sauce on top of shells

Dinner is served!

A little look at the inside...yum!

Enjoying one shell with broccoli and hard-boiled eggs for lunch the next day!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Baked Mac 'n Four Cheeses



I had a funny conversation with my friend Rachael a little bit ago and I decided I would share it with you. Because you're super interested, right? Eh, well here goes either way. Apparently she and her boyfriend were talking about dinner one night and were wondering what I was making. Rachael guessed something with "three cheeses", and shortly thereafter I happened to post this Three-Cheese Queso recipe.

Then I started looking at my other recent posts, including Gnocchi Mac 'n Cheese, which, also had three cheeses. Apparently I have a pattern. So, just to prove I can be different, I came up with a recipe that uses four cheeses. Ha! Bet you didn't see that one coming...

Or maybe you did because I make dishes with cheese so often. I can't help it. I love cheese. It should be it's own food group in my opinion, which further supports my notion that I should move to France where I can walk, experience culture, and, oh...eat lots of bread and cheese.

Baked Mac 'n Four Cheeses
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp; adapted from Gnocchi Mac 'n Cheese
Serves 4, depending on portions
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Ingredients:
*1/2 pound whole wheat whole grain pasta (I used half a 16-oz. box of elbow noodles)
*2 tablespoons butter
*4 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
*2 tablespoons flour
*1 1/2 cup milk (I used skim)
*2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
*2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used NY and WI white cheddar)
*2/3 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
*1/3 cup shredded Parmesan
*4 tbsp. goat cheese
*salt and pepper to taste
*1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
*a few dashes of dried rosemary (optional)

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 375 and spray a baking or casserole dish with nonstick spray.

*Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well, and place as one layer in whatever dish you're using.

*Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. As soon as it is all melted, add in your garlic. Whisk continuously for about 30 seconds, or until the garlic starts smelling really good.

*Whisk in the flour, and continue whisking until it thickens and bubbles.

*Then whisk in the milk and the Dijon. Continue whisking occasionally for about 3-5 minutes--the sauce should be thickening at that point.

*While you are whisking, start adding clumps of your cheese mixture into the sauce. Every time it is fully melted into the sauce, add another handful until you've gone through all your cheese. Add the goat cheese last.

*Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste, then pour it over the pasta. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs, plus a few shakes of dried rosemary (it adds a really nice flavor).

*Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until it's all nice and bubbly and golden.

*Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

all the cheese! (obviously not all of each chunk

butter, flour and garlic

cheese time!

the sauce (sorry it's so fuzzy!)
Baked and ready

scooping it out!
Cheesy :)

I just loved how creamy this was. Not to mention the bread crumbs and rosemary on top...easily the best part.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Shrimp & Pesto Pasta


Have I annoyed you with pesto yet? Well I'm sorry if I have, but I just can't help it. I love how one batch of this pesto has gone so far and been used in so many meals. Not to mention it has made my life easier having some in the freezer to grab whenever it fancies me.

So about this dish...John and I used to walk to Noodles on Saturday afternoons during our senior year of college. He would always - and I mean always - get the mac and cheese with parmesan chicken. I would alternate between that spicy tomato cream dish (can't remember what it's called) and the pesto pasta with shrimp. The Shrimp Diablo I make pretty much covers that first recipe I always ordered, but I had yet to tackle the second...

...until now! And guess what? It turned out great! John gave me an awesome compliment (he always does but this one was super great) when he said that it "smells like Italy" when I put his bowl down in front of him. John adores Italy. He studied there for a summer and has never fully came home. So for him to say this, I was beyond excited and had a little happy step going on.

So enjoy this easy meal, pretend summer is still here, and prepare for the cold winter by making and freezing some of this delicious pesto!! (Tip: if you don't have a jar you can freeze it in an ice cube tray then remove it and put it in a plastic bag for easy single servings. Ta-da!)

Shrimp & Pesto Pasta
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp, inspired by Noodles & Company
Serves 4, depending on portions
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Ingredients:
*1/2-1 cup pesto sauce, store bought or homemade (go for it - make it - I promise it's worth it!)
*about 1 box whole wheat whole grain pasta (I used a hodgepodge of macaroni noodles and penne because it was all I had in my pantry)
*some grape tomatoes, halved
*shrimp, as much or as little as you desire (I used a whole bag, probably a good 20 shrimp)
*Parmesan cheese, for garnish
*salt and pepper
*olive oil

Preparation:
*Thaw shrimp, if frozen, and rinse well.

*Put of large pot of water on stove and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente.

*While pasta is cooking, heat some olive oil (or use olive oil spray as I've taken a liking to doing) on a skillet. Add shrimp and saute both sides until cooked to your liking.

*Remove shrimp from skillet and add tomatoes, cooking for 1-2 minutes, until softened.

*Drain pasta.

*Combine shrimp, tomatoes and pasta in a large bowl. Add pesto to the bowl, starting with 1/2 cup and adding more to your taste. Mix well before adding more because a little goes a long way.

*Serve in bowls and sprinkle with some freshly grated parmesan cheese (or bagged!).
Searing the shrimp

The extra pesto I whipped up (wanted to be sure to replenish my stock!)

Shrimp is done

like my hodgepodge?

All mixed up...sorry for the fuzzy picture

Surprise, surprise, I added extra parmesan cheese for garnish...

dig in!

I heart pesto.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Roasted Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Lasagna


...with whole wheat whole grain noodles, caramelized onion, sage, spinach and brown butter marscapone cheese... all I can say is WOW.

I saw this awhile back on the always amazing How Sweet It Is blog. And as all her posts do, this looked fantastic. I bookmarked it via Pinterest to make on a Sunday - figured it was one of those time-intensive dishes (note, it is) that would be sooo worth it (note, it was).

I also saw that my friend Jourdan made this dish but changed it up a bit. Her creativity inspired me to switch this up, too! I decided to add some caramelized onion (which Jourdan did) and a little spinach, which I was inspired to do while flipping through an issue of Cooking Light magazine.

Our apartment smelled amazing the entire time this was cooking. Starting with the roasting of the butternut squash and sweet potato (and I thought I hated sweet potatoes), to the cooking of the finished product. It was warm, creamy and an absolutely perfect fall dish. John's only complaint? I made it in an 8x8 dish. He told me I'm no longer allowed to make this in such a small dish because it is that good. He actually used the word "mouthgasmic." Think about that and tell me you won't make this. Ahhh. :)

Roasted Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Lasagna
Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is & Jourdan Leigh
Yields 1 lasagna  
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Ingredients:
*9-12 whole wheat lasagna noodles
*1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 2 cups cubed)
*2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 1 1/2 cups cubed)
*12 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
*3 tablespoons unsalted butter (honestly I thought this was a bit much...I would cut it down to 1 or 2 tbsps.)
*1 shallot, thinly sliced
*3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
*1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
*1/2 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese
*1 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon pepper
*1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
*a bunch of sage leaves
*olive oil for drizzling
*large yellow onion, plus 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. brown sugar (heated over skillet until browned and softened)
*1-2 cups cooked spinach

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For squash & potatoes
*Lay cubed squash and potatoes on a baking sheet, and drizzle with a bit of olive oil (only about 1-2 teaspoons). Use your hands to coat the squash and potatoes with olive oil, then sprinkle with nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

*Roast for 50 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes or so. Remove from oven and let cool.

*Once cool, mash with a potato masher or fork.

For mascarpone filling:
*Heat a skillet over medium heat and add butter. Add in shallots and garlic, and whisk every 30 seconds or so for 2-3 minutes. The butter should brown and the shallots and garlic should be fragrant. You don’t want the butter to burn –  if it seems too hot, reduce the heat.

*Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

*In a bowl, combine mascarpone, 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, remaining salt and pepper, and the shallots, butter and garlic. Mix until somewhat smooth and spreadable.

Layer lasagna:
 *Spray an 8×8 pan with non-stick spray, then lay 2-4 (depending on size/brand) noodles down. Spread half of the squash mixture evenly over top, followed by caramelized onions and spinach, then spread/crumble half of the mascarpone on top of that.

*Sprinkle half of the mozzarella and remaining parmesan on next, then repeat with one more set of noodles, squash, mascarpone, and cheese.

*Top the dish over with a bunch of sage leaves that will crisp up in the oven.

*Bake for 45 minutes, or until cheese on top is golden and bubbly.

Stay tuned...I'm using the rest of this butternut squash for gnocchi!

Before roasting...

...after roasting

Caramelized onions

Butter, garlic and shallot mixture

First layers done...lasagna, squash and sweet potato mixture, caramelized onions and spinach

plus marscapone cheese mixture, mozzarella and parmesan

Final layer with sage leaves...wishing I had put even more on because they totally enhanced the flavor!
Cooked mine a few minutes too long! I didn't hear the buzzer. It was still good, though!

Yummm

Tasty layers

Mashed up and messy but still delicious!

 
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