Baked Gnocchi with Ricotta and Marinara

Ingredients:

• Potato Gnocchi boiled
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:

1. Heat broiler, with rack in top position. Divide gnocchi among four 8-ounce shallow baking dishes or place in an 8-inch square baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, then top with dollops of marinara sauce and ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and broil until tops are browned in spots and gnocchi are heated through, 3 to 5 minutes, rotating once.

Serves 4

Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas

Ingredients:

• Olive oil, for muffin pan
• All-purpose flour, for rolling
• 1/2 pound homemade or store-bought pizza dough, in 6 pieces
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (4 ounces)
• 1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
• Desired toppings, such as cooked vegetables, pineapple and ham, or pepperoni

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly brush 6 standard muffin cups with oil. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each dough piece to a 6-inch round. Fill each cup with 1 round, gently pressing dough into bottom and sides of cup. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Sprinkle each dough cup with 1 tablespoon each cheese and tomato. Add desired toppings and another tablespoon each cheese and tomato. Bake until dough is golden brown and crisp, 12 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes before removing from cups.

Cooking Note:

Standard muffin pans come in 6- or 12-cup size; if baking 6 items in a 12-cup pan, leave empty space in between. Nonstick pans are nice but not essential. Beware of very thin pans, which often lead to burning. Place pans on a baking sheet to make them easier to get in and out of the oven.

Serves 6

Classic Cheese Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1 pound whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella
• Marinara
• Lasagna noodles cut into 4-by-13-inch strips and cooked, or store-bought dried noodles, cooked
• 5 ounces coarsely grated Parmesan cheese, (about 1 3/4 cups)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Combine ricotta, egg, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Season with pepper. Coarsely grate 1/2 of the mozzarella, and stir into ricotta mixture. Using your fingers, shred remaining mozzarella into 2-inch strips, and reserve.
2. Spread 1/2 cup marinara in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place a layer of noodles over marinara. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over noodles, and sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan. Place a layer of noodles over the cheese layer. Spread 1 cup marinara over noodles. Repeat layering (noodles, marinara, noodles, ricotta mixture, Parmesan) 2 more times. Spread remaining marinara over cheese layer, then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.
3. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until cheese is golden brown and sauce is bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serves 4

Chickpea Burger

Ingredients:

• 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 4 scallions, trimmed
• 2 slices white sandwich bread
• 1/3 cup peanuts or almonds, unsalted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 large egg
• Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• Whole-wheat English muffins and lettuce, to serve with burgers

Directions:

1. Heat grill to high. In a food processor, combine chickpeas, scallions, bread, peanuts, cumin, and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Pulse until roughly chopped. Remove half the mixture to a bowl; add egg to food processor. Process until smooth; add to reserved mixture in bowl, and mix well.
2. Form the mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick patties. Brush each side generously with oil; grill until charred, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Serve the burgers on English muffins with lettuce, mustard, and mayonnaise.

Serves 4

Broken Noodles with Tomato Sauce and Ricotta

Ingredients:

• 4 cups homemade or store-bought marinara sauce
• 1 package (9 ounces) pappardelle (wide pasta), broken into large pieces
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, bring sauce and 2 cups water to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Add noodles, and simmer, stirring frequently, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt. Serve with a dollop of ricotta, basil, and pepper.

Serves 4

Grilled Mozzarella Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut into 4 equal pieces about 3-inches by 4-inches
• 8 1/2-inch thick firm white sandwich bread
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, leaves
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• A grating of nutmeg
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Place the mozzarella on 4 slices of the bread. Cover with the remaining slices to form sandwiches. Trim the crusts off to make perfect 4-inch squares.
2. In a wide shallow bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the cream, thyme leaves, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk until well blended.
3. In a 10 to 12-inch nonstick saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook until the sizzling subsides. Dip 2 of the sandwiches into the egg mixture, turning to coat, place in the pan, and cook until golden brown on the first side, about 2 minutes. Flip over and brown on the other side. Transfer the sandwiches to individual plates and repeat the process with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, and 2 sandwiches. Cut in half, and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Southern Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted, plus more for ramekins
• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar (8 ounces)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 2 slices white sandwich bread, torn

Directions:

1. Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Preheat oven to 350. Butter four 10-ounce ramekins. Cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups cheddar, eggs, half-and-half, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add pasta, and stir to combine; divide among ramekins.
3. In a food processor, pulse bread and melted butter until coarse crumbs form; season with salt and pepper. Dividing evenly, top pasta mixture with 1/2 cup cheddar, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until mac and cheese is golden and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Cooking note:

You can also bake the mac and cheese in a shallow 1 1/2- to 2-quart baking dish. Increase the baking time to 25 to 30 minutes.

Serves 4

Mozzarella Sticks

Ingredients:

For the Mozzarella Sticks:

• 12 stick s of string cheese or 12 pieces of mozzarella cut into 4 x 1/2 inch sticks
• 1 1/2 cups panko-style breadcrumbs (or Progresso Italian-style Panko breadcrumbs)
• 4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• Canola oil for frying

For the Buttermilk Dip:

• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons minced green onions
• 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of table salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

Directions:

1. Dredge the mozzarella sticks: Spread the flour and breadcrumbs on separate plates (pie plates work well for this).  Add the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the breadcrumbs and mix well.  Place the eggs in a small bowl and beat them lightly.
2. Drop a piece of cheese into the flour and roll it around until it is well covered.  Shake off the excess flour and dip the cheese into the egg mixture before rolling it in the breadcrumbs until well coated.  One last time, dip the breadcrumb coated cheese back into the beaten egg and roll again in breadcrumbs to create an extra crispy coating.  Set aside on a clean plate and repeat with the remaining cheese sticks.  Once all of the mozzarella has been breaded, place the plate into the freezer uncovered and freeze until the breadcrumb coating is firm, at least 2 hours.
3. Meanwhile, make the buttermilk dip: In a small bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together until well combined.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Fry the mozzarella sticks: Pour enough oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot to come to a depth of at least 2 inches.  Using an candy thermometer, heat oil until it reaches a temperature of 350°.  Fry the mozzarella sticks in batches, being careful not to overwhelm the oil, until crispy and browned on the exterior, about 5 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.
5. Repeat with remaining mozzarella, allowing the oil temperature to rise back to 350° between batches.  You can place the finished mozzarella sticks in a 200° oven to keep them warm while the others fry.
6. Serve immediately with buttermilk dip.

Serves 4