Whole-Wheat Pasta with Pumpkin-Seed and Spinach Pesto

This weekend I finally went through the stacks of recipes I've pulled from magazines and found homes for each of them in my binders. This was a good one I was glad to rediscover. I was fairly distracted while I was prepping dinner, so below is how I made it. Three of us loved it; since my five-year-old still has an aversion to green things, I didn't take it too personally when she only ate one bite.

*12 oz. dried whole-wheat rotini pasta

*2/3 c. fulled pumpkin seeds, toasted

*1/3 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley

*1 TBSP. coarsely chopped fresh chives

*1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

*1 garlic clove

*1 tsp. coarse salt

*1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

*1 tsp. lemon juice

*2 c. baby spinach, packed

*3/4 c. part-skim ricotta cheese, divided

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 c. cooking water.

Meanwhile, combine toasted pumpkkin seeds, parsley, chives, oil, garlic salt, lemon juice and zest, and spinach in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine and add about 1/2 c. ricotta; pulse again. Return pasta and pesto to pan and toss to combine, thinning with reserved pasta water as needed. Serve with a scoop of remaining ricotta on top and a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

My tomatoes finally decided conditions were ideal enough to turn red. I have been drying most, but decided to try my hand at canning them. I made a batch of tomato sauce the night before I saw this recipe post and decided it would be easier to use some of it than carry it downstairs to the fruit-room. I cut out a little of the fat, and we all still loved this dish.

*2 TBSP. olive oil

*1 TBSP. butter

*1 medium onion, finely diced

*4 cloves garlic, minced

*2 cans (15 oz. each) tomato sauce

*salt and pepper, to taste

*dash of sugar, to taste

*1/2 c. heavy cream

*Parmesan cheese, to taste (about 1/4 c.)

* Fresh basil, chopped

*1 1/2 pound fettuccine

Heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute. Pour in tomato sauce. Add salt, pepper and sugar. Stir and cook over low heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in cream and cheese. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Stir pasta into sauce and thin with water as desired. Add chopped basil and serve hot.

Incredible Cannelloni

The TV gods added the Cooking Channel to my lineup and I was so excited I went nuts DVRing all sorts of shows. This recipe comes from Jamie Oliver, who I first fell in love with when he was doing his Naked Chef gig. I know the ingredient list might turn a few people off (normally myself included) but these are seriously incredible. Brett declared this may be one of the best pasta dishes he's ever eaten. I changed a few things from the original and was super happy with the results. This amount served our family of 4 perfectly.

*1/2 lb. broccoli

*1/2 lb. cauliflower

*Extra-virgin olive oil

*4 cloves garlic, sliced

*1/2 bunch thyme leaves

*1/2 oz. anchovies (stay with me here, and if you're scared of the fish, go with anchovy paste or skip)

*2 small dry red chilies, crumbled

*1/4 c. part-skim ricotta

*1/2 c. mozzarella, divided

*1c. tomato sauce

*1/2 tsp. pepper

*1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

*splash of red wine vinegar

*2 TBSP. butter

*2 TBSP. flour

*1 c. milk (or 3/4 c. milk +1/4 c. cream)

*1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, divided

*10 cannelloni shells

*basil

Cut up broccoli and cauliflower. Boil in salted water for 5 minutes. Reserve 1 c. water and drain. Heat saucepan and add olive oil and garlic, fry for a minute, then add thyme, anchovies, and chilies. Stir well and add broccoli and cauliflower and a few TBSP. reserved water. Stir well, cover loosely (leave a gap near the lid) and cook for about 20 minutes. Remove lid and cook another 5 minutes. Use a potato masher (or an immersion blender) to smash it up to a smooth-ish consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in ricotta and 1/8 c. mozzarella cheese. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool a bit. Meanwhile, lightly grease a baking pan. Combine tomato sauce, pepper, red pepper flakes and red wine vinegar and spread over bottom of pan. Fill zip top bag with cauliflower mix and snip off corner. Use bag to pipe filling into the cannelloni shells. There will be plenty of filling, so don't be stingy. Place filled shells on top of the tomato sauce close together. Put basil leaves on top of shells, maybe a leaf or so per shell.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour and whisk until smooth and thickened. Pour in milk and increase heat to medium-high, whisk for about 5 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and add 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, whisk to combine. Pour over top of cannelloni. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and bake 30-40 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Pasta y Fagiole

I fell in love with this Italian chili at the Olive Garden and making it has become my unofficial way of celebrating the changing leaves and cooler temps of fall. There is a bit of prep-work with the veggie chopping, but you'll forget all about it when you're enjoying a steaming bowl.

*2 tsp. olive oil

*1/2 lb. ground beef

*1/2 onion, chopped

*1 carrot, julienned

*1 stalk celery, finely chopped

*2 cloves garlic, minced

*2 cans tomatoes, (I puree mine, but if you like the chunks by all means...)

*1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

*1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained

*3-4 c. beef stock

*1 tsp. oregano

*1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

*1 tsp. pepper

*1/2 tsp. Tabasco

*1 TBSP. white vinegar

*1 c. spaghetti sauce

*8 oz. V-8

*8 oz. ditali or small shell pasta

*1/2 TBSP. fresh parsley, chopped

In a large soup pot, saute the beef in oil over medium/medium-high heat until beef begins to brown. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add beans, stock, oregano, Italian seasoning, pepper, Tabasco, vinegar, spaghetti sauce, and V-8. Stir to combine and return to a simmer. Add noodles and simmer until they are tender but not mushy. Add parsley and serve with Parmesan cheese and some crusty bread.

*Notes: If you have leftovers eat within a day or the noodles will get mushier than I like. The soup freezes very well, just leave the noodles out and add them when you are reheating. If you are making it in advance to take somewhere, you can partially cook the noodles separate and add them just before serving.

Zuppa Toscana

My mother-in-law gave me this recipe and I finally took the plunge and attempted making it.  I don't know why I was afraid to make it because it's super easy and I actually like this better than Olive Garden's Zuppa.  I didn't take photos of the process but here's one I found on the internet.

Ingredients:  

1 lb. Spicy Italian sausage, cooked/crumbled (i.e. Jimmy Dean)

1 qt. water

2 (14.5 oz) cans of chicken broth (OR 4 c. water and 4 bullion cubes)

2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean and cubed (I also peeled mine)

2 garlic cloves--peeled, crushed

2 c. chopped kale, swiss chard, or spinach (I have also had it without and it is still good)

1 c. heavy whipping cream (my MIL uses goats milk instead)

Salt and pepper to taste.

Brown the sausage.  Place water, broth, potatoes, garlic and onion in pot.  Simmer over heat.  Add sausage and simmer about 10 minutes.  Add kale/swiss chard/spinach to the pot.  Season to taste.  Heat through.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

Carlee shared this recipe site with me and wouldn't you know it a guiltless Alfredo sauce recipe caught my eye. Since I've been making a lot of pasta lately, I've also been trying some new sauce recipes and will say this one is a keeper.

*2 c. low-fat (not skim) milk

*3 oz. 1/3-less-fat cream cheese

*2 TBSP. flour

*1 tsp. salt

*1 TBSP. butter

*3 garlic cloves

*1 c. Parmesan cheese

Put the milk, cream cheese, flour and salt in a blender. Process until smooth and set aside.

In a sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Saute for 30 seconds and slowly add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for 4-5 minutes until it comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook a few minutes more. When it is nice and thick, add the cheese. Stir well, then remove from heat and cover. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Tuscan White Bean Soup

A few weeks ago we went to dinner with friends and I ordered a Tuscan white bean soup for my starter and haven't been able to get it off my mind ever since. It had such a simple/hearty/tasty flavor I decided I had to try to figure it out. I think this is very close to the original and it was a hit with the whole family.

*3/4 lb. navy beans

*5 cloves garlic, divided and chopped

*2 tsp. thyme, divided

*1 TBSP. olive oil

*1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

*1 tsp. sage

*1 quart low-sodium chicken broth

*1/4 c. cream

*Parmesan cheese, slices preferred

*croutons

*fresh cracked pepper

*extra-virgin olive oil

Start by sorting and rinsing the beans. I cooked mine in my pressure cooker with 8 c. water, 1 tsp. thyme and 2 cloves of garlic, chopped, for about 25 minutes. Drain beans. If using canned beans, grab 2-3 cans of cannelini beans and rinse and drain them before using. In a stock-pot heat 1 TBSP. olive oil and cook onion over medium heat until fragrant and tender. Add the sage and cook another minute. Pour in chicken broth and add beans, garlic and remaining tsp. thyme leaves. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Remove about 1 c. broth and 1 c. beans and puree. Add puree back to soup, stir in cream and heat another 5 minutes.

To serve: Ladle the soup into a bowl. If you have slices of Parmesan place on top of soup or sprinkle shredded cheese. Top with a handful of croutons, a bit of fresh pepper and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Enjoy.

This picture in no way does this soup justice.

Croutons: Any time I've got extra French bread that is on it's way out, I cut it into 1-inch cubes and store in the freezer. When I need croutons, I pull them out to thaw, toast in a 200 degree oven until dry. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet, toss in the bread cubes to coat and stir in some seasonings (garlic powder, Kosher salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, whatever flavor you're looking for).

Whole Wheat Pasta

I have been having a lot of fun making homemade pastas. The next couple posts will be some of my favorite dough recipes. The man of this house often does the rolling of the pasta sheets (using the pasta roller, of course) and finds it very therapeutic. This recipe is for a wheat dough that is made with half wheat and half white flour and is very easy.

*1 egg (or 2 TBSP. egg powder + 2 TBSP. water)

*2 TBSP. milk (or scant 1/2 tsp. dry milk + 2 TBSP water)

*1/2 c. wheat flour

*1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Stir ingredients together in a bowl. Using hands, knead until a hard ball of dough forms (if too dry you can add a few drops of water, but keep trying to knead it because you likely won't need more).

Cover dough with a damp towel and allow to rest at least 10 minutes. Divide dough into 2-4 sections and roll using your pasta roller or by hand on a floured surface.

After I rolled the sheets of dough,

I used a pizza cutter to cut one direction and a crimped roller to roll the other direction to make squares, pinched them in the middle to make farfalle noodles.

Let dough dry 10-30 minutes before cooking. Add noodles to salted boiling water and cook a few minutes until al dente.

Pizza Dough Bread Sticks

I got an email from here a while back touting these herb-stuffed bread sticks. I will say they were tasty, but they took nearly 2 hours to make, so I'm not moving them to the top of my list. Basically, you make pizza dough and then roll out, smear with herbs and oil and twist up to bake.
The Dough:
*2 pkg. dry yeast
*4 1/2-5 1/2 c. AP flour
*2 C. warm water, divided
*2 tsp. salt

Stir together 3 c. flour and salt. Whisk together yeast, 2 TBSP. flour and 1/2 c. water in a cup; let set until foamy (10 minutes). Add yeast mix and remaining 1 1/2 c. water and flour mix; stir until smooth. Add 1 c. flour. Stir in more flour (up to 3/4 c.) to make dough come away from bowl. Knead on a floured surface (or in a mixer) for about 10 minutes until smooth, soft and elastic. Divide into 2 balls, cover and rise until double (about 1 hour).

The Filling:
*1 TBSP. finely chopped rosemary
*1 TBSP. finely chopped thyme
*1 c. Parmesan-Reggiano, shredded and divided
*salt & pepper
*1/4 c. olive oil
*3 cloves garlic, minced
*1/4 c. finely chopped parsley
*2 lbs. dough (above, or just buy some)

Preheat oven to 400. Move racks to the upper and lower thirds. Oil 2 baking sheets. Stir together rosemary, thyme, 1/4 c. cheese, 1/2 tsp. salt. 1/4 tsp. pepper. In a small bowl mix olive oil, garlic and 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper.
Roll 1/2 of the dough into a 15x10" rectangle. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Sprinkle half of the dough with 1/2 of the herb mixture. Fold and roll out again until you have about a 10x8 rectangle. Cut lengthwise into 9 strips. Twist the strips and place on the baking sheets. Brush with 1 TBSP. garlic oil. Let stand 5 minutes. Bake 20-25 minutes, switching trays halfway, until golden brown. Stir together parsley and 3/4c. cheese in a shallow pan. After baking, brush each twist with oil, then roll in parsley and cheese to coat.These are rich and filling, so even though I can normally consume half dozen or so bread sticks with a meal, plan 1-2 for each person of these.

Basil Pesto

I realized it had been too long since I'd made pesto when I consumed a whole bowl of it at last month's book club meeting. Not to worry, I've made and enjoyed several batches since then to repent.
Pesto is a great sauce because the proportions are just guides and you can adjust to taste and texture. I have two tips I learned from Martha's Cooking School. First, blanch the garlic by covering it with water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat, drain and let garlic cool. This will take away some of the 'raw' garlic flavor. Second, working the basil too much will damage the flavor, so it is preferred that you use a mortar and pestle (hence pesto) to bruise the basil and incorporate the garlic flavor. I tried this once and it took almost 20 minutes to get the right texture for 2 c. of basil, so I went right back to the food processor, but think twice about pulsing more than necessary.

*2 c. loose packed basil leaves
*3-4 cloves garlic peeled (and blanched, if desired)
*3 TBSP. pine nuts or walnuts (toasted and chopped)
*1/2 tsp. Kosher or sea salt
*1/3 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
*1/2 c. good extra-virgin olive oil

Combine basil, garlic, nuts and salt in a food processor (or blender) until the nuts and garlic are pasty. Add the cheese and blend to incorporate. Pour in the oil in a slow steady stream and mix until combined. Serve immediately or cover with a layer of oil and store in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. Pesto can be frozen, but it is not recommended to add the cheese until ready to use. And I have heard that walnuts freeze better than pine nuts.
I love pesto tossed with cheese tortellini, in tomato-based soups and smeared on a toasted slice of baguette with some fresh mozzarella and some tomato sauce.

Pasta Mama

I've become a big fan of the Food Network show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Carlee and I often chat after episodes and compare notes on which dishes we need to try. We both agreed a recent dish called 'Pasta Mama' looked yummy. Right after the show I went to the restaurant's website to get more info about the dish.
It is evidently a breakfast dish, but it sounded a lot like pasta carbonara to me, so we enjoyed it for dinner. This is not what you'd call a light dish and the hubby and I agreed this would be a perfect carb-loading meal.

*5 oz. of pasta (about 1/3 lb. fresh or dry)
*2 eggs, beaten
*2 cloves minced garlic
*2 TBS. chopped parsley
*1 TBS. olive oil (or butter)
*1 TBS. water
*1 TBS. of fresh grated Parmesan
*¼ tsp. garlic powder
*¼ tsp. oregano
*¼ tsp. seasoning salt
*¼ tsp. onion powder

Prepare pasta – fresh takes 2-3 minutes; follow directions on packaging of dry pasta (Leftover pasta can also be used. Add at same time as it is added below and warm in pan with 1 TBS
hot water before adding eggs.)
Turn on stove on medium. Pour oil (or melt butter) in 10 inch sauté pan.
Add minced garlic and dry seasonings; sauté together 1- 2 min.Add parsley; add pasta with 1 TBS hot water (Make sure leftover pasta or cold pasta is hot before adding parsley or eggs)
Add beaten eggs and mix thoroughly. (I made 1.5 of the recipe and it was a bit tricky to add the eggs, tossing enough to cook, but not scramble the eggs and I ended up with 2 clumps of egg, so work quickly and turn down the heat a bit at this point)
Add Parmesan, cook through and serve. I also cooked up 4 strips of bacon and tossed in the pan with the cheese...YUMMY!

Baked Polenta with Parmesan

I am not an expert on polenta, it is basically cooked cornmeal often used in Italian cooking. I often see it used by Rachel Ray and Giada DeLaurentis and have been wanting to try it. They use a quick-mix to make it, but I haven't been able to find it at my local stores. I can find a 'tube' of pre-made polenta so I picked some up and here's what I did with it.

I got the basil & garlic flavored variety. Cut the tube into about 20 slices. Lay slices on parchment lined baking sheet. Lightly coat tops with olive oil and sprinkle (generously) with shredded Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450 for about 10 minutes. Serve warm with marinara sauce. This is delicious. I'm going to keep looking for the quick-mix variety so I can flavor it with some other options. If anyone reading this knows where I can find it, please let me know!

A couple days later we were still craving this treat, so I sliced it, grilled it over medium heat and tried some with cheese & marinara and the rest with salsa. We liked the texture of the grilled ones even better than the baked.

Breaded Parmesan Chicken

A few months ago I got a mailer for a new cooking magazine and in their information was a sample of helpful hints that would be included in each magazine. I didn't subscribe, but one of the hints was to add cornstarch to egg whites as the glue coating on breaded chicken. I still hadn't tried it, but some leftover marinara sauce in my fridge had me thinking about Chicken Parmesan...seriously, this chicken was good enough for me to eat about twice the amount I usually would have.

*8 chicken tenders
*2 egg whites
*2 tsp. cornstarch
*splash of lemon juice

*1 1/2 c. bread crumbs
*1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese (from the green can)
*1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
*1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
*1 TBSP. fresh chopped parsley

I had some leftover French bread and decided to make my own break crumbs - cut into cubes, pulse until crumbs, bake it at 200 for about 15 minutes until dry.

Blot chicken with a paper towel to dry. In a shallow dish, whisk egg whites, cornstarch and lemon juice until well-blended. In a separate shallow dish, combine bread, cheese, salt, pepper, and parsley. Dip chicken in egg mixture, coating thoroughly, then into bread mixture, pressing to coat. Place chicken on a cooling rack to set for about 30 minutes. I put mine over a baking sheet, covered chicken with foil and refrigerated it for about 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 450. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully place chicken into skillet to brown (2-3 minutes). Carefully turn chicken and move skillet to oven. Bake another 7-8 minutes until cooked through. Remove from skillet and serve with marinara sauce over top.

Almost Good For You Fettuccine Alfredo

I love rain. It has rained every day for the past two weeks, and although I'm loving the cooler temps, even I am wondering if we'll ever see Mr. Sun again. The gray skies have sent me in search of comfort foods for dinner and lots of homemade breads. I'm sure you can understand why I will not be getting on the scale anytime soon.

That said tonight's search for what to eat led me to Kraft Food and Family's recipe for Smarter Fettucini Alfredo. I've tweaked it just a bit, but I'm thinking we were still pretty close to the promised 6g fat/serving...not bad at all! Oh, and it only took 20 minutes to make.

*8 oz. fettuccine noodles, uncooked
*1 1/4 c. fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
*4 tsp. flour
*1 clove, minced garlic (what's Alfredo without garlic)
*1/3 c. low-fat cream cheese spread(I used the 1/3 less fat Neufatchel)
*3 TBSP. Parmesan cheese, divided (I used the real shredded kind, they said the green can kind)
*fresh cracked pepper
*1/8 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
*2 TBSP. fresh chopped parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan whisk together broth and flour. Add (garlic) cream cheese and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Toss pasta with sauce, 2 TBSP Parmesan, and nutmeg. Serve topped with parsley, remaining Parmesan cheese and pepper. Serves 4.
The disclaimer at the bottom of the recipe reads: Instead of butter and cream, we used chicken broth, flour and light cream cheese and reduced the amount of Parmesan cheese. These changes will save you 300 calories and 34g fat!
I don't know about you, but it is a little nauseating to think that the Alfredo we all love so much has 40g fat/serving. I thought this was quite tasty given that it has no butter or cream. The texture was actually just right. You can taste the chicken broth flavor, so this is one recipe I wouldn't risk substituting bouillon in. I also think vegetable broth would be good and you could add some chopped red peppers.

Lasagna

I know everyone is particular about their lasagna recipe. My mom makes a good one, my older sister does as well. For me, my recipe works perfect. It started years ago with me being a little too busy (lazy) to actually simmer the tomatoes and all of that other stuff. So, if you like yours, stick with it. If you are looking for one that is probably a bit faster and tastes great, give this one a try.
We have a small family, so when I make this, I make 2, 8" square pans. I either freeze one of the pans or take one to a friend, which is what I get to do tonight.
*10-12 lasagna noodles (I always seem to have one or two break during cooking, so I cook 12, even though you can almost always do this with 10 noodles)
*3/4 lb. hamburger (or Italian sausage, or combo of both)
*5-6 c. favorite jarred marinara sauce (today I used Prego, traditional)
*2 1/2 c. ricotta (skim)
*4 c. mozzarella, shredded
*1 c. Parmesan, shredded
*2 eggs
*1 1/2 T. parsley
*salt and pepper to taste
*Italian seasoning

In a large pot bring lots of water to a boil. Add a little salt and cook the noodles per package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, season the hamburger with pepper and cook on medium-high until cooked through. I rinse and drain my meat, but some say that is unnecessary. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta, 3 c. mozzarella, 3/4 c. Parmesan, eggs, parsley and pepper. Your noodles will probably be done by now, so drain them and lay the noodles flat on cooling racks (or foil or wax paper). Lightly grease pans with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 c. sauce on the bottom of each pan. Cut 1/3 length off of each noodle (set aside small portion for top layers). Take 3 of the large portions of noodles and lay them side-by-side in the bottom of the pan. Spread noodles with ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 hamburger and cover with some sauce. Repeat with noodles (use a combo of big lengths and small), cheese, meat, sauce. Add a final layer of noodles, sauce and cover with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with some Italian seasoning and pepper. Cover with foil. I usually make mine in the morning and keep in in the fridge until time to bake.
Bake at 350 for about 1 hour (if you make this right before baking it will only take about 35 min. to finish) or until the sauce is all bubbly and the house smells delicious. Serve with bread and a good salad.

I forgot to take pictures along the way, and of the finished product for that matter. This is the lone serving that was on the way to the leftover shelf in the fridge.

*If you are freezing one, press plastic wrap tightly over the top and then cover the pan with foil. Freeze. Remove from the freezer and cook for about 2 hours.

Ricotta Gnocchi

Today was a perfect kind of day for me. It's pouring rain outside and I had no reason to leave home. Hubby's been gone all week and wanted to spend time with the girls. So that leaves me with some serious free-time to spend in the kitchen. The first is a dish that we fell in love with several years ago during a trip to Sausalito--Ricotta Gnocchi. I had pulled a recipe from Epicurious, but in my binder it sat, until a couple nights ago on Food Network they were discussing ricotta vs. potato gnocchi and my taste buds have been in overdrive ever since.
I can't believe I waited so long to make these because they are actually even easier than the potato ones I've been making. Recipe says it will feed 4 as a main course, I'd say those people would be very big eaters and think this would better serve 6.
*2 TBSP. unsalted butter
*3 eggs
*15 oz. ricotta
*1 c. flour
*1 tsp. Kosher salt
*1/2 tsp. pepper
Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large bowl, beat together eggs and ricotta with an electric mixer until blended. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until combined (batter will be soft-like Cream of Wheat).
Use 2 teaspoons (flatware, not measuring) to form gnocchi. Scoop up a rounded teaspoon of batter and use the other spoon to scoop it into the boiling water. Work in batches of 10 gnocchi. Simmer briskly until gnocchi are firm in the center and cooked through, about 5 minutes. (After the first two batches I made two adjustments to make this easier. First, if you have extra pans and space, have two pots of boiling water, otherwise this will take you about an hour to do. Second, using the spoons was taking me a long time because I was trying to make them look too pretty and the dough is soft, so that was hard. I filled a quart size Ziploc bag, cut a good size hole out of the bottom corner and just piped out little 'balls' about the size of salt water taffy. They cooked a little faster and were so much easier.)
Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a platter and cover with a damp paper towel.
When done simmering, melt butter in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat, then cook gnocchi, turning gently until warmed. (I actually cooked them a bit longer than 'warm' and they were a perfect light brown/crunchy with super soft texture).
This is the difference in sizes of two methods.
Serve with a favorite marinara sauce (I used a tomato-basil variety from a jar and it was perfect), and the yummy garlic-Parmesan rolls.
These were a lot easier to make than I imagined all these years. The hubby commented that they were the best gnocchi he'd ever had. We'll definitely be having these again. Oh yeah, since we couldn't find anyone to join us for dinner, we have a lot left over. I boiled them and let them cool, spread them on a lined cookie sheet, freezer time, and sealed in a freezer bag, so then I'll just need to thaw and saute.

Pizza

Long ago it was concluded that those in this family really could eat pizza somewhere in the almost-every-day category. We love all varieties from NY thin crust, to Chicago deep dish, and especially the kind with mixed sauce at our local pizzeria. So it should come as no surprise that we had a couple parties this past year where we had a homemade pizza fest. If you are doing this for a party, plan on a little prep time to make sure you have plenty of topping choices, but if you already know exactly what toppings your family would like, this is a fast meal. The dough can even be made the night (or two) before.

The dough recipe comes from my good buddy, Wolfgang Puck. The honey adds such a great flavor to the dough, it is sure to become your favorite as well. This will make 4 pizzas about 7ish inches.
*1 pkg. active dry yeast
*1 tsp. honey
*1 c. warm water (105-115 degrees)
*3 c. flour
*1 tsp. Kosher salt
*1 TBSP olive oil

In a small bowl, combine the yeast and honey with 1/4 c. of the warm water. In a food processor (or mixer with a dough hook) combine the flour and salt. Add the oil and yeast mixture and process until dough forms a ball or climbs up the dough hook.
Turn dough out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface and knead for 3-5 minutes. The dough should be smooth and firm. Cover with a clean, damp towel and let rise in a cool spot for about 2 hours. When ready, the dough will stretch when it is lightly pulled.
Divide dough into 4 balls (about 6 oz.). Work each ball by pulling the sides down and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Repeat 4-5 times. Then on a smooth, unfloured surface, roll the dough ball under the palm of your hand until it is smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Cover with damp towel and let rest for about 1 hour. (At this point the balls could be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated a few days. You could also flatten to pizza crust, coat with olive oil and bake just the crust. Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months.)
But you'll probably want to eat the pizzas sooner than later, so make this sauce while dough is resting.

Pizza Sauce:
1/2 TBSP. Olive oil
1 cloves minced garlic
1 cans (28 oz.) tomato puree
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano

Saute garlic in oil over medium high heat. Add puree and seasonings, bring to boil and simmer 30 minutes.

Now to assemble the pizzas. Coat cookie sheets with corn meal. Use your fingers to start stretching each dough ball. Rotate the dough in a circle (envision a clock hanging on the wall and your hands will stay between 11 and 1 o'clock as gravity helps stretch the dough. When the dough gets to be about 1/4 inch thick you're ready to go. Mine look less like you'll find at the pizzeria and more like a rough oval, they taste good anyway.
Lay dough on cornmeal, spread with pizza sauce and toppings of your choice. Here are some combinations we like.
*Can't go wrong with pepperoni and cheese
*Shredded rotisserie chicken coated with bbq sauce, sliced purple onions, cilantro (not my favorite with pizza sauce, just put the chicken right on the dough and cover with cheese).
*Diced ham and pineapple chunks
*Mushrooms
*Summer is a good time to go crazy with the veggies: slice tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, etc.
*You could also use a canned alfredo sauce and cover it with spinach and chicken
*Don't underestimate the classic tomato, basil, mozzarella

Once the pizzas are dressed, it's time to bake. Bake at 500 for about 10 minutes. If you have LOADED on toppings, plan to almost double that.
Some hints:
*Too much sauce is not a good thing, just coat the crust.
*Same goes for cheese
*Same goes for toppings

If you are doing this for a party of about 12-16 here are some recommended amounts:
*make double recipes of dough (if you've got big eaters make 2 1/2 of the dough and freeze extra) and the sauce
*divide dough into smaller balls so everyone can make their own pizzas
*plan for about 3-4 lbs. of mozzarella cheese
*1 can of pineapple
*1/2 lb. diced/sliced ham
*1/3 bunch of cilantro
*1/2 sliced purple onion
*1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded and coated in a cup or two of bbq sauce
*1 pkg. pepperoni
*1 c. spinach
*1 c. alfredo sauce