MY FAVORITE ITALIAN MEALS

One of my favorite Italian style meals to cook are stuffed shells.  I love lasagna, spaghetti, ravioli and a great carbonara sauce as much as the next person but my family and friends love my stuffed shells.  They have a beautiful presentation, great flavors and this recipe feeds a crowd.  I serve it with a Caesar salad made with romaine and baby spinach and a slice of cheesy garlic toast.  This is definitely a crowd pleaser.

CHEESY BEEFY STUFFED SHELLS
Adapted from Paula Deen's Northern Italian Pasta Shell Stuffing

This is a great recipe and makes a huge serving.

Ingredients

• 3 packages frozen, chopped spinach
• 3 pounds ground round
• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 16 ounces, monterey jack cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
• 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 jumbo eggs
• 1 (1-pound) package jumbo pasta shells (Recipe makes about 32 shells)
• 32 Ounce Jar Tomato Sauce (your own or ready-made)

Directions

Microwave frozen spinach in a bowl for 5 minutes until thawed. Squeeze all of the water out and place in a separate bowl. (This is best achieved by squeezing with a clean dish towel then pulling the spinach apart and squeezing out any remaining water).

In a large saute pan, cook onions and garlic.  Add the ground round and cook until browned. Place meat in the bowl. Stir in the cream cheese and spinach until blended with the meat.

Add grated cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder salt, and pepper, to taste, and combine. Stir in grated monterey jack and parmesan cheeses. Let mixture cool and then add the eggs. The filling can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


Cook pasta shells in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and cool to the touch. Stuff the shells with the meat mixture. Place shells in a large baking pan and cover with tomato sauce. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 45 minutes.  Serve with garlic bread and a great salad.

POTATO GNOCCHI WITH PEAS AND BACON

Another Italian dish that I've loved for years and typically order at restaurants is gnocchi but I never thought I could make it at home, until now, that is.   Priya and I had a good time making gnocchi and catching up.  We made our gnocchi with peas and bacon and hope you enjoy this meal as much as we did.

These little balls of dough just melt in your mouth.

INGREDIENTS

Kosher salt

2 pound russet potatoes

3 to 4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ - 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting board and dough

3 -4 slices of bacon , chopped

2 garlic cloves , minced

1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth , unsalted

1 can peas, drained

4 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Wash and clean potatoes.  Poke holes in potatoes with a fork and microwave on high for about 10 minutes.  (Microwave times will vary so continue to check your potatoes). Let sit until cool enough to handle, cut in half, and scoop out the flesh.

Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer or grate them on the large holes of a box grater. (I did this using various other methods and it took me a lot longer to get the potatoes to the right consistency. My advice is if you’re going to make gnocchi, then invest in a ricer.) You should have about 2 cups.

Make a mound of potatoes on the counter with a well in the middle, add 3 of the egg yolks, the cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix in the potatoes and mix well with hands. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the flour over the potatoes and, using your knuckles, press it into the potatoes. Fold the mass over on itself and press down again. Sprinkle on more flour, little by little, folding and pressing the dough until it just holds together, (but don’t knead it.) Work any dough clinging to your fingers back into the dough.

Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 1/2-inch in diameter.

 

Cut into 1/2-inch-long pieces. Lightly flour the gnocchi as you cut them. (If the dough holds together, it is ready. If not, add more flour, fold and press the dough several more times, and test again. ) (TIP: Press the back of a fork into the gnocchi to make little ridges.  This will help the sauce stick to the gnocchi.)

To make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until crisp. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth and peas and cook over medium high heat until the liquid is reduced by half. Reduce the heat to low and add the butter and cook until melted and the sauce is slightly thickened.

Cook the gnocchi in boiling water. They will rise to the surface when they are done. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and let drain. Add them to the sauce and gently stir together.

Serve with additional cheese at the table.