Pasta – Greenacres Foundation

Fresh Spinach and Cheese Baked Pasta Filling

This filling can be used in any baked pasta – try it layered in lasagna, or stuffed into shells or manicotti. The fresh spinach adds delicious flavor you won’t find from frozen spinach.

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Course Main Course

Ingredients

4 Tbsp Butter
1/2 lb Onions, diced
1.5 lb Fresh spinach
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
24 oz Whole milk ricotta
16 oz Shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
6 oz Shredded parmesan cheese, divided

Instructions

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until starting to caramelize. Meanwhile, wash and roughly chop the spinach. Add spinach to the skillet a few handfuls at a time, stirring frequently. Cook until the water from the spinach has evaporated and the mixture is thick. Set mixture aside to cool.
Scramble the eggs in a large bowl with salt and pepper. Add ricotta, 12oz of mozzarella and 4oz of parmesan to the eggs, stirring to combine. Add cooled spinach mixture and mix thoroughly. Reserve remaining cheese to top the baking dish once your pasta is assembled.
Your filling is now complete - use in any lasagna, stuffed shells, or manicotti.
If you’re making stuffed shells, boil pasta according to package directions, undercooking by a few minutes. Drain pasta and stuff with the cheese mixture. Cover the bottom of your baking dish with tomato sauce and arrange the stuffed shells in the dish. Spoon remaining sauce over the shells and top with reserved shredded cheeses. Bake at 350º for 30-45 minutes, or until bubbly and the cheese starts to brown.

Keyword Pasta, Pasta Sauce, Spinach

Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Caramelized Onions and Kale

A creamy lemon ricotta sauce is one of our favorite ways to enjoy summertime pasta. With the addition of sweet caramelized onions and tender, nutrient packed kale, this quick and elegant supper is sure to be one of your family’s favorites, too.

Be sure to keep some of the starchy water when you drain the pasta. Often just discarded, this is the perfect ingredient to help create the silky, creamy sauce.

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Cook Time 45

Course Main Course

Ingredients

4 Tbsp Butter
2 bunches (about 1.5-2lb) sweet onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic or 8-10 garlic scapes, minced
1 lb Curly kale, stems removed, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb Pasta (linguine, penne, cavatappi or rotini would work well, but use what you have on hand)
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
15 oz Whole milk ricotta

Instructions

Melt butter over medium heat in a large pot or dutch oven. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden and caramelized. Take your time - this may take 20-30 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook for another few minutes.
Meanwhile, boil the pasta according to the package directions. Retain about one cup of the pasta water before you drain the cooked pasta. Toss hot pasta with a bit of oil.
Add chopped kale to the onions, stirring until kale is tender, 3-5 minutes. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Add cooked pasta to the vegetables. Use tongs to toss the mixture and combine. Add olive oil, lemon zest and juice, and ricotta. While combining the mixture, add reserved pasta water a little at a time as needed to create a smooth, silky consistency.
Variation: this recipe is a delicious vegetarian meal, but it also pairs well with thin-sliced chicken breast, sausages, ground turkey or ground chicken. After onions are caramelized, sauté meats in the dutch oven until fully cooked, then proceed with the remainder of the recipe.