Tag Archives: spinach

Stuffed Shells with Peas, Spinach and Fennel

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“Sauced with a bright-tasting marinara (the key is cutting the canned tomatoes with passata, Italy’s raw, strained tomato purée) and topped with grated Parmesan and more Taleggio, these stuffed shells deliver all the satisfying coziness of the original—but tastes like a welcome refresh.”

While it is a rather labor-intense undertaking, and uses lots of kitchen pots and appliances, it is a very satisfying, and less heavy vegetarian pasta option. Before even starting, make sure you have a broiler-proof casserole dish such as enameled cast iron, or your vessel could crack under the intense heat of the broiler.

The humble green pea is the star here, thanks to their abundance of water and soluble fiber, which renders them wonderfully smooth when puréed. In addition, a full pound of frozen chopped spinach is added for more green color and freshness. (Freezing breaks open the leaves’ cells, softening them.)

Sautéed fennel, shallot and garlic bring gentle sweetness, and plenty of basil and lemon zest round things out. Taleggio cheese is the binder to give the filling cohesion as well as some richness and adds robust flavor to complement the stuffing. Fontina cheese would make a fine replacement for Taleggio (perhaps even more of it?)

While the recipe calls for a rectangular 9″ x 13″ broiler-proof casserole dish, ours was oval in shape, but still fit exactly 25 jumbo stuffed shells. The unused shells were stored in a seal proof container with a bit of sauce to prevent sticking together, and saved for another use.

TIP: To make the slippery shells easier to fill, hold each lengthwise in your palm and gently squeeze the ends; the center will pop right open!

*BTW, a whole bottle (24 oz.) of passata was inadvertently included in our sauce. But in the end it was a happy mistake, because we liked the additional sauce. We used more in the casserole, and leftovers for passing purposes.

Stuffed Shells with Peas, Spinach and Fennel

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

Sauce

  • 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup passata (or more, see above*)
  • 1⁄2 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
  • 3⁄4 tsp. table salt
  • 1⁄4 tsp. sugar

Filling

  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large fennel bulb, stalks discaded, bulb halved, cored, and chopped fine
  • 1 lage shallot, peeled, halved and sliced thin
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 1⁄4 tsp. table salt, divided
  • 1 lb. frozen peas, thawed
  • 8 oz. Taleggio cheese, rind removed, divided
  • 2 tsp. grated lemon zest
  • 1⁄4 tsp. pepper
  • 1 lb. frozen chopped spinch, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

Shells

  • 12 oz. jumbo pasta shells
  • Table salt for cooking pasta
  • 1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. For the Sauce: Heat oil and garlic in medium sauce pan, over medium heat, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, passata and pepper flakes and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil, salt and sugar. Cover and set aside.
  2. For the Filling: Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add fennel, shallot, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until fennel is translucent and shallot is beginning to brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of water, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated and fennel is crisp-tender and light golden brown, about 5 more minutes.
    Process peas in food processor for 15 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add half of Taleggio, lemon zest, pepper, and remaining 2 teaspoons salt and continue to process until cheese is incorporated and mixture is smooth, 20-30 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed. Add spinach and pulse to incorporate, 5 to 6 pulses. Transfer pea mixture to bowl with fennel, add basil, stir and set aside.
  3. For the Shells: Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 9 minutes.Drain pasta and rinse under cold water until cool to touch. Reserve 25 unbroken shells, save the others for another purpose.
    Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Spread 2 cups sauce over bottom of 13-by-9 broiler-safe baking dish. Using spoon, fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons of filling. Arrange shells open side up in rows of 5 shells over sauce in dish. Pour remaining sauce evenly (will probably not cover shells completely). Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Break remaining Taleggio into small pieces and dot evenly over top.
  4. To Finish: Cover dish slightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until heated through. Remove foil and return dish to oven. Turn on broiler. Broil until sauce is bubbling and cheese is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer dish to wire rackand let cool for 10 minutes. Serve.
    NOTE: Fully assembled shells can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours; increase baking time by 10 minutes.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Steve Dunn for Cook’s Illustrated

Creamy Spinach-Artichoke Stew

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This creamy chicken stew is spinach-artichoke dip reimagined as a simple stovetop braise. It comes together quickly, thanks to frozen spinach and jarred artichoke hearts, though if you have time, NYTimes Cooking also has a slow-cooker version of this recipe.

Fresh dill and scallions are added just before serving, and provide bright, herbal flavor that offsets the richness of the finished dish. Delicious and packed with flavor, that is even better the next day!

Some changes we made included adding olive oil with the butter and browning the chicken thighs on both sides to render some of the fat and add that extra layer of flavorful fond for the base. A parm rind was incorporated at the time the wine and stock are added to the pot. The original amount of 1/2 cup of fresh dill just seemed overpowering, so we cut by half, to a quarter cup, plus more for garnish.

Creamy Spinach-Artichoke Stew

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 to 2¼ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 large yellow or red onion, finely chopped
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 8 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
  • 2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • ¾ cup white wine
  • Parm rind
  • ½ lemon, juiced (about 1½ Tbsp.)
  • 1 tsp. red-pepper flakes
  • 1 10-oz. package frozen cut spinach
  • 1 12-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained (about 1 heaping cup artichoke hearts)
  • ½ cup cream cheese (about 4 oz.)
  • 1⁄4 cup finely chopped fresh dill, more for garnish
  • 4 to 6 scallions, thinly sliced, for topping
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions

  1. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and melt the butter. Add the seasoned chicken thighs, and brown for a few minutes on both sides. Remove to a platter and cut in half.
  2. Add the onion, season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to avoid scorching. Stir in the garlic.
  3. Pour in the stock and wine and add the parm rind, and bring to a bubble. Add the chicken thighs, lemon juice and red-pepper flakes; season with 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of pepper. Mix well to combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil.
  4. Reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
  5. Add the frozen spinach and the artichoke hearts to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring to help the spinach defrost and wilt into the stew. When the spinach is warm and evenly distributed, reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is tender and the flavors are blended, another 10 to 15 minutes.
  6. Add the cream cheese in dollops, stirring to melt it into the soup. Add the dill. Using two forks, coarsely break or shred the chicken into large chunks. Taste and add more salt and black pepper if necessary. Remove the parm rind.
  7. Divide the stew among bowls, and top with scallions and Parmesan.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Sarah DiGregorio for NYTimes Cooking.

Italian Wedding Risotto

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For a more substantial, main-course variation on Italian wedding soup, serve this garlicky meatball and spinach risotto with a drizzle of olive oil, grated Parmesan, and parsley. Pair with a side salad—dinner done.

Inspired by the classic soup, this heartier Italian wedding risotto is filled with just-wilted spinach and topped with crispy, garlicky meatballs. Use a cookie scoop to quickly portion out the meatballs; make a double batch and freeze half to whip up this dish in a flash. Remove the risotto from the heat while it’s still a little soupy — it will thicken slightly as it rests. 

A few changes we made started with baking (instead of broiling) the meatballs. The size of the meatballs was reduced slightly, creating 25 instead of 20. We preferred a less liquidy finish, so we reduced the water by 1 cup. And the fact that baby spinach wilts down to nothing, we used the entire package of 5 ounces. These alterations are all noted below.

While the original recipe said the total prep/cook time was 45 minutes, it realistically took over an hour; perhaps due to the fact that we baked the meatballs instead of broiled them.

Italian Wedding Risotto

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground pork
  • 1/2 cup panko
  • 1 1/2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated with a Microplane (about 2/3 cup), divided, plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, divided
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 tsp. black pepper, plus more to taste and for garnish
  • 4 cups chicken stock or broth, preferably homemade
  • 1-2 cups water (depending on how liquidy you want it to be)
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter (2 oz.), divided 
  • 1 medium-size yellow onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked arborio rice (about 10 1/2 oz.)
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine
  • 5 oz. packed fresh baby spinach

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine pork, panko, 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, parsley, egg, 2 teaspoons chopped garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix gently with hands until just combined.
  2. Roll mixture into 20-25 meatballs (about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons each). Place meatballs 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  3. Bake until browned and cooked through, 18-22 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 160°F. Set cooked meatballs aside at room temperature until ready to serve.
  4. Combine stock and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium. Reduce heat to medium-low.
  5. Heat oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium. Add onion, celery, and remaining chopped garlic; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes.
  6. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.
  7. Add wine and cook, stirring often, until almost completely reduced, 1 to 2 minutes.
  8. Add 1 cup warm stock mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
  9. Add remaining stock mixture, 1 cup at a time, stirring until liquid has been absorbed after each addition, until rice is al dente, about 20 minutes.
  10. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in spinach; cook, stirring occasionally, until just wilted, about 30 seconds.
  11. Divide risotto and meatballs among bowls. Drizzle with oil; garnish with additional cheese, parsley, and black pepper.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Justin Chapple for Food & Wine

Three Cup Chicken with Thai Stir-Fried Spinach

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Both recipes from Milk Street, this stir-fry combo was startlingly good. Yes, between the two of them, you use over a head of garlic but it didn’t overwhelm in any way. There is quite a bit of prep involved so don’t begin cooking until all of the ingredients are ready; the dishes come together quickly.

Milk Street says Taiwanese three-cup chicken is named for the formula once used to prepare the dish: one cup each of sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine. Not surprisingly, recipes no longer adhere to that ratio, but the name has stuck, so we’re sticking with it too.

If you plan to serve over rice, make sure to start cooking the rice before you begin stir-frying anything. The spinach takes only minutes, but is done in three batches. If you have two cooks in the kitchen, one can finish stir-frying the main chicken entrée while the other works on the spinach.

The original recipe calls for a serrano chili, but with none available at our grocery store, we opted to use a jalapeño, which is not as hot on the Scoville scale as the serrano. Three cups of basil may seem like overkill but it wilts down considerably and imparts a sweet pungent flavor with a clove-like back end.

Three-Cup Chicken

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 tsp. cornstarch
  • 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • ¾ cup sake
  • 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. grapeseed or other neutral oil
  • 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch-wide strips
  • 12 medium garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
  • 1 bunch scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths 
  • 1 serrano (or jalapeño) chili, stemmed and sliced into thin rounds
  • ¼ cup minced fresh ginger
  • 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 3 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, torn if large
  • 1 cup jasmine rice, cooked to package directions

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and soy sauce, then stir in the sake and sugar. Set aside.
  2. Heat a wok over medium-high for 3 minutes, or until a drop of water evaporates within 1 to 2 seconds. Add the oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add the chicken in an even layer and cook without stirring until browned, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is well-browned and softened, about 4 minutes.
  4. Add the scallions, serrano, ginger and sesame oil, then cook, stirring constantly, until the scallions begin to wilt, about 1 minute.
  5. Stir the sake-cornstarch mixture to recombine, then add to the wok. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes.
  6. Off heat, add the basil and stir until it begins to wilt, about 30 seconds.
  7. Serve over hot jasmine rice.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Thai Stir-Fried Spinach

This simple, bold stir-fry uses regular bunch spinach rather than the water spinach common in Thai cooking. The wilted leaves and crisp-tender stems combine for a pleasing contrast of textures, and is not cooked to death like many recipes. In fact, we’ll go as far to say, it was probably the best cooked spinach we’ve ever had! Be sure to dry the spinach well after washing thoroughly (a salad spinner works great); excess water will cause splattering and popping when the spinach is added to the hot oil.

Don’t use baby spinach, which can’t handle high-heat cooking and doesn’t have stems to offer textural contrast. And don’t allow the spinach leaves to fully wilt in the pan; some leaves should still look fairly fresh, but will continue to cook after being transferred to the bowl.

Thai Stir-Fried Spinach

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
  • 2 tsp. white sugar
  • ¾ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 4 Tbsp. grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided
  • 3 Tbsp. coarsely chopped garlic
  • 1½ pounds bunch spinach, trimmed of bottom 1½ inches, washed and dried well

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
  2. In a large skillet over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until just beginning to smoke. Remove the pan from the heat, add the garlic and cook, stirring, until just beginning to color, 20 to 30 seconds.
  3. Return the skillet to high and immediately add about ⅓ of the spinach. Using tongs, turn the spinach to coat with the oil and garlic. When the spinach is nearly wilted and the garlic has turned golden brown, 30 seconds or less, transfer to a large bowl. The leaves will continue to wilt but the stems should remain crisp-tender.
  4. Return the skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil, swirl to coat the pan and heat until just beginning to smoke. Add half of the remaining spinach and cook, as before, for 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer to the bowl and repeat with the remaining oil and spinach.
  5. Pour the fish sauce mixture over the spinach and toss. Transfer to a platter and drizzle with any accumulated liquid.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Both recipes hail from Milk Street