Everyday Pasta (13 page)

6 servings

This is a variation on the ricotta and spinach ravioli recipe from my first book,
Everyday Italian.
The original is one of my very favorite dishes, but my husband, Todd, never feels completely satisfied with a meatless meal so I came up with this version for him. The prosciutto adds body and a kick of flavor to the ravioli, making it a more substantial, manly dish.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, prosciutto, egg yolks, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Place 1 tablespoon of the ricotta filling in the center of a wonton wrapper. Brush the edge of the wrapper lightly with water. Fold the wrapper in half point to point, enclosing the filling completely and forming a triangle. Pinch the edges to seal. Transfer the ravioli to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers. (The ravioli can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate.)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, cook the ravioli until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer the ravioli to a large shallow bowl.

Melt the butter in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the oregano and stir for 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the oregano butter over the ravioli and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with the Pecorino cheese and serve.

6 to 8 servings

Todd and I both love stuffed shells, so I’m always thinking of fun new fillings to try. This one is a real home run. The first time I made it I used leftover dark meat from our Thanksgiving turkey and chopped it fine, but we liked it so much that I’ve adapted the recipe for ground raw turkey. Now we can have it any night of the year! We like it with the slightly spicy arrabbiata sauce, because turkey can be a bit on the bland side (especially if you can only get ground white-meat turkey), but if you want to use your favorite jarred marinara sauce instead, it’s still a great dish.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and the garlic and cook until the onion is soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is lightly golden and cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine.

Cover the bottom of a 9 × 13 × 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of the Arrabbiata Sauce. Hold a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture, about 2 tablespoons. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full; you should have about 24 shells. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata Sauce over the shells and top with the grated mozzarella. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 25 minutes.

4 to 6 servings (makes about 54 gnocchi)

I happen to love gnocchi; they’re like little pillows in your mouth, and very, very comforting. Although you can get them at any grocery store these days, when I have some time, I still enjoy making them at home.

To make the gnocchi, pierce the potatoes all over with a fork. Microwave the potatoes on High until tender, turning once, about 12 minutes. (You can also bake the potatoes at 375°F for 50 minutes, or until tender.) While the potatoes are still warm, cut them in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Discard the skin. Using a fork, mash the potato well. Stir in the egg, salt, and pepper. Sift the flour over the potato mixture and stir just until blended.

Scoop out a large spoonful of gnocchi dough. Roll each scoop on the work surface into about a ½-inch-diameter rope. Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough over a wooden paddle with ridges or over the tines of a fork to form grooves in the dough. Set the formed gnocchi on a baking sheet while you form the rest of the dough.

To make the thyme butter, melt the butter with the thyme leaves in a medium, heavy skillet over medium heat until the butter is melted, about 2 minutes.

Working in two batches, cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water until they have all risen to the surface, about 3 minutes. Scoop the gnocchi into a colander with a slotted spoon while you cook the second batch. Reheat the thyme butter sauce over low heat. Transfer the cooked gnocchi to the skillet with the hot thyme butter and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss again.

Spoon the gnocchi and butter sauce into shallow bowls. Top with the Pecorino and serve.