Category Archives: Italian

Squash, Sage & Ricotta Manicotti

Posted on October 20, 2009 by Veronica

I’m a big fan of sweet and savory combos, and the squash here is just sweet enough to perfectly balance the onion, sage & cheeses. This the best thing I’ve eaten in a while and although my husband hates all squash, particularly butternut, he ate his plate without complaint! Success.

Squash, Sage & Ricotta Manicotti
Adapted from Everyday Food November 2009, “Squash, Sage & Ricotta Cannelloni”

3 T olive oil, plus more for baking dish and sheet
Salt & pepper
8 manicotti noodles
½ cup finely diced white onion
1 lb. cooked & mashed butternut squash
¼ c + 2 T parmesan
¼ c + 2 T milk
1 T chopped fresh sage leaves, plus 8-10 whole leaves
1/8 t ground nutmeg
2 c ricotta (15 oz)
¾ cup shredded mozzarella, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 2-quart or 8-inch square baking dish.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and transfer pasta to a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet in a single layer.

In a small skillet, heat 1 T oil over medium. Add onion, season with salt & pepper, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add the squash, ¼ c parmesan, 2 T milk, sage, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Stir the mixture until thoroughly combined.

Put filling into a gallon-size Ziploc bag and cut the corner. Squirt the squash mixture into the manicotti tubes and place in prepared dish.

In a bowl, combine ricotta, ½ c mozzarella, ¼ c milk & 2 T parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Spread ricotta mixture over manicotti and top with ¼ c mozzarella. Bake until warmed through, about 25 minutes. Broil until top is browned, 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 2 T oil over medium-high. Fry whole sage leaves until crispy, 15-20 seconds. Drain on paper towels. Serve manicotti topped with fried sage.

*Veronica’s notes: the original recipe does not call for mozzarella, but for 1/2 c parmesan to be mixed with the ricotta and for another 1/4 cup to top the dish. I think this would taste better but I ran out of parmesan and had to use mozzarella. I will try it with the parm next time. Also, you can leave the parm out of the filling if you like, that was my addition and is prob not necessary if using it on top.

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Posted in Italian, Lighter Fare, Pasta, Vegetarian & Vegan. Bookmark the permalink.

Eggplant & Olive Pizza

Posted on August 15, 2009 by Veronica

I have been an eggplant hater my entire life. And yet I still ventured forth to make this pizza, which for some crazy reason appealed to me. I’m happy to report that both my husband (an even bigger eggplant hater) and I thought it was very yummy! The only complaints I have is that I forgot to use the parsley–which I purchased especially for this pizza–and that there wasn’t enough eggplant on it. Use more if you like lots of toppings–I will next time! And maybe some onion…

The exact recipe follows after the step-by-step photos

Slice up 1/2 pound small eggplants & toss them with salt in a colander.

The salt makes the eggplant taste better (the bitterness dissipates) and also makes them leak water so that it doesn’t happen in the oven (no soggy crust!)–see how shriveled they are after drying?

While the egg plant is draining, mix up your olive oil & garlic and set aside so the flavor infuses the oil while you prepare the crust.

After letting the dough rise, press it out into your pizza pan and brush with the garlic olive oil.

Layer on your toppings, bake at 500 degrees for 10 minutes, slice it up and eat it hot!

Eggplant and Olive Pizza
Adapted from Gourmet’s Grilled Eggplant & Olive Pizza, August 2009
Makes 1 large 14″ pizza, 8 servings (8 Weight Watchers Points each)

Pizza
1/2 pound small eggplants, sliced into 1/4″ thick rounds
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces sliced provolone, cut into thin matchsticks
1/2 cup Spanish olives, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (I forgot it, but I think it would be wonderful on this pizza)
Whole wheat pizza dough (recipe follows)

Veronica’s Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup warm water (115 degrees F)

Put the eggplant slices in a colander and toss with the salt. Allow to rest in the sink or over a bowl for 30 minutes, then press the slices between paper towels until dry. Set aside.

While eggplant is draining, mix the garlic and olive oil, set aside and then prepare your pizza dough.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour, 1 cup of the white flour, the sugar, salt & yeast (it is instant so it doesn’t have to be dissolved first). Stir in the oil & water as well as you can with a spoon, then knead in the remaining 1/2 cup flour. Today I had to add another tablespoon or two of water to keep the dough supple–it was dry, I guess b/c of the weather. Sometimes it’s too wet, in which case you should add a bit more flour. By the time you knead in all the flour, it will have been kneaded plenty (probably about 5 minutes). Oil a bowl, place the dough inside, turn it once, cover it and set it in a warm place to rest for 15 minutes.

Put your oven rack in the lowest position & preheat to 500 degrees F.

Spray a 14″ pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray, dump your risen dough in the middle of it and press it out to the edges with your hands, leaving the edge thicker to hold the toppings. Brush the garlic olive oil over the entire crust, including the edges. Layer on your dried eggplant, olives & cheese. Pop it in the oven for 10 minutes. Slice it up and serve it hot!

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Posted in Italian, Main Dishes, Pizza. Bookmark the permalink.

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Posted on March 28, 2009 by Veronica

I can spend an entire day decorating a cake but I have no patience when it comes to preparing food. So despite my affection for anything Italian, I have thus far prepared ravioli solely by buying it frozen and pouring sauce over it. Who has the time to make the dough from scratch, roll it out, blah blah blah? Just thinking about it gives me a headache.

Enter last month’s issue of Good Housekeeping. Near the back was their featured “Easy” recipe of the month–Butternut Squash Ravioli. You use wonton wrappers so that you don’t have to make the dough yourself. It wasn’t exactly easy, but it wasn’t too bad….until I made a serious error in judgement.

These suckers are supposed to dry for 30 minutes before boiling. I figured I’d prepare them the night before and let them dry all day in the fridge. Well, the edges got so dry that most of them cracked all the way to the filling and the middles got so soggy on the bottom that they were nearly impossible to pry off the cookie sheet. They fell apart in the boiling water and I had a spaz attack. I was starving and I get CRANKY when I’m hungry. All I could think about was how long it took to fill each one of those ravioli and then seal the edges and all for nothing!

I started banging the hell out of the edge of the pot and things started falling off the back of the oven…picture frames, vitamins, fake ivy….

Then when I started draining them one by one and laying them on paper towels as the recipe (I thought at the time) directed, the mangled mess began sticking to the paper towels. I lost it completely. I started banging cabinets until the apple clock fell off the wall. It didn’t break so I picked it up and threw it one the floor. That did the trick.

After stirring them into the sage butter sauce and watching them further disintegrate, I slid a few remaining whole ones onto a plate and dug in. My sizzling nerves gasped and then settled into complete bliss. At least it was all worth it. So worth it.

Butternut Squash Ravioli
Printable recipe

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped (4-6oz)
12 ounces frozen winter squash
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons plain dried breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 pinch nutmeg
salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon water
12 ounces wonton wrappers (50 wrappers)
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh sage leaf

In a small nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium 1 minute. Add onion and cook about 12 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Cook squash in microwave as label directs; cool slightly.

In medium bowl, combine onion, squash, parmesan, bread crumbs, whole egg, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper. In small bowl, whisk together egg white and water.

Place 1 wonton wrapper on work surface. With pastry brush, brush egg white along edges; place 1 rounded tablespoon squash filling in center of wrapper, keeping filling away from edges. Top with second wrapper; press down firmly around filling to seal ravioli, pushing out any trapped air. Place ravioli on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers, using a second cookie sheet so that ravioli do not overlap. Let ravioli dry 30 minutes, turning over halfway through to evenly dry both sides.

Ten minutes before cooking ravioli, heat large pot of salted water to boiling on high.

Add ravioli to pot; cook 3-5 minutes or until tender, stirring gently to separate ravioli.

Meanwhile, in 4-quart saucepan, cook butter on medium 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, stirring. Remove from heat; stir in sage and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper.

With large slotted spoon, lift out ravioli, 1 at a time; drain, on paper towels. Transfer ravioli to saucepan with butter; gently stir to coat.

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Posted in Italian, Lighter Fare, Main Dishes, Pasta and tagged butternut squash ravioli sage butter sauce. Bookmark the permalink.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Posted on September 10, 2008 by Veronica

I have long been of the opinion that if pizza is on the menu, it’s best to order it from Pizza Hut and not mess with a good (well, perfect) thing. Why waste time making my own crust and chopping vegetables when I can just sit my butt down in a chair and wait for someone else to make it? Or, better yet, just stay at home and wait for it to be delivered?

That is until I decided to give a recipe for whole wheat pizza crust a try. Now I find myself making pizza at home more often than dialing for a delivery. It may not be the best recipe out there, but it’s the only one I’ve tried because for me, it was love at first bite. (And the added nutrition form the whole wheat is a bonus too!)

The cool thing about pizza is that you can put pretty much anything between the crust and the cheese and it’s going to taste fabulous. And no matter how much you healthify it–whether it be with a whole wheat crust or tons of veggies–it still tastes like junk food. And if you can stick to one piece (yes, it is possible), then it can be on your diet plan AND it lasts longer that way. It takes Den and me 3 days to eat a large pizza.

Today I used what I had on hand–marinara for the sauce, red onion, mushrooms, green peppers, some leftover hamburger, about a cup of chopped basil and oregano from my backyard and a generous sprinkling of mozzarella. And as always, it was delish!!!

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
Adapted from a Hodgson Mill recipe

1 package active dry yeast (I use rapid rise/instant*)

1 cup warm water (115 degrees if you’re measuring…I don’t)

1 ½ cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp. granulated sugar

½ tsp. salt

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Put water in a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Stir in whole wheat flour, sugar, salt, olive oil and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour. Knead in remaining flour by hand and continue to knead for about 5 minutes (the dough will be smooth and elastic).

Coat the bowl with oil, place dough in the bowl and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover the bowl with a towel and set it in a warm place and allow to rise for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 500 degrees while you’re waiting.

Spray a large pizza pan (or two small) with no-stick cooking spray. Stretch pizza crust (I press it from the center outward) to fit pan and flute outer edges of dough to hold fillings. Brush on some olive oil, then put on your sauce & toppings. Bake until cheese is melted, about ten minutes. Slice it up and serve it hot!

*If you use rapid rise/rapid acting/instant yeast, skip the dissolving step and just mix it in with everything else. I usually mix it with the dry ingredients, then stir in all the liquid before kneading in the remaining flour. Easy peasy!