Strawberry Panna Cotta

I loved this Strawberry Panna Cotta!  I made a vanilla panna cotta before and I personally think the strawberry flavor is even better.  The fresh pureed strawberries are absolutely delicious in this panna cotta.  This dessert is light and refreshing and not overly sweet.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Panna Cotta

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 packet gelatin (about 2 ¼ teaspoons)

3 tablespoons cold water

2 cups strawberries, pureed

Directions

In a food processor (or blender), puree strawberries.  Set aside.

In a bowl, add cold water and sprinkle the gelatin on top.  Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.  Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream and sugar.  Stir until sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and 1 ½ cups strawberry puree.

Lightly grease 4 custard cups or 2 larger ramekins if serving as a mold.

Pour gelatin into panna cotta mixture and stir until the gelatin is dissolved.

Divide the panna cotta mixture into the prepared cups or ramekins.

Chill in refrigerator for 4 hours or until panna cotta is firmly set.  Feel free to chill overnight.

To unmold, run a knife around the edge of the panna cotta and flip onto a plate.  You may also serve as is in individual cups/ramekins.

Spoon remaining pureed strawberries evenly over each panna cotta.

Serves 2 to 4.

Easy Bolognese Sause

As you can tell by the title of this recipe, Easy Bolognese Sauce...it is actually easy!  What is great about this sauce is that you can make it ahead of time and freeze it in portions.  I made this on a Sunday morning and had enough sauce for 2 meals, shared some of it and then froze the rest.  I probably would have added in diced carrots and celery if I had any on hand when I made this, so I will do that next time and see if it tastes any different.  Serve this Easy Bolognese Sauce with your favorite pasta and you will have a quick, delicious, and filling meal.  I made mine with spaghetti and it was so good.  Enjoy!  

Easy Bolognese Sauce

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, diced

3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced

28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon red chili flakes

½ cup red wine

½ cup milk

2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped (I used 2 basil cubes by Dorot.)

Directions

In a heavy pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.

Add onions and sauté until soft about 5 to 7 minutes. 

Next, add in garlic and sauté until fragrant.

Add ground beef to onions and garlic.  Cook until meat is no longer pink, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and red chili flakes.

Stir in red wine and milk.

Cover and simmer on low for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Stir in basil about 10 minutes before end of cooking time. 

Serves 6 to 8.

Lasagna Soup

This Lasagna Soup is the best new soup recipe I've tried in a long time so I wanted to post this recipe ASAP.  I absolutely love the flavors of this soup.  The fire roasted tomatoes and hot Italian sausage gives this soup a nice kick.  My friend sent me this recipe from a farmgirl's dabbles, which I did modify for myself.  In case you were wondering, the leftovers are even better.  The flavors in the soup really develop.  Definitely keep the soup and pasta separate so the pasta doesn't get mushy if you store leftovers.   Enjoy this yummy soup - it is a winner! 

Lasagna Soup

Printable Recipe

Ingredients for the Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 to 1½ pounds hot Italian sausage (I used 3 links, casings removed.)

1 zucchini, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cans (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

4 cups chicken stock (I used low sodium.)

½ cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

8 ounces campanelle pasta (fusilli or rotini would work well too)

Ingredients for the Cheese Topping

8 ounces ricotta

½ cup parmesan cheese, grated

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add olive oil.  Add sausage, breaking it up into bite-sized pieces.  Cook until lightly browned.

Add in zucchini and cook until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and tomato paste.  Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in fire-roasted diced tomatoes, bay leaves and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.  Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes.  Stir in basil before serving.

Cook pasta separately according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese toping.  In a small bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, salt and pepper.  

To serve, add pasta to a bowl.  Ladle soup over pasta.  Spoon a dollop of cheese topping over soup.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.

Serves 8.

Ricotta Nutella Ice Cream

I wanted to make a ricotta ice cream and it was a success!  I love nutella and just added that in at the last minute.  This ice cream is to die for - the ricotta is rich and creamy.   The nutella adds that hint of chocolate and hazelnut flavor.  I am really enjoying experimenting with ice cream recipes.  I still haven't tried any custard based ice cream recipes with eggs but I might do that sometime soon.   Seriously, homemade ice cream tastes far better than anything you buy in a carton at the grocery store.  My next ice cream flavor I want to make is earl grey because I had an earl grey gelato recently and it was amazing and is my new favorite flavor.   Enjoy!

Ricotta Nutella Ice Cream

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

½ cup whole milk

½ cup heavy cream

¾ cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

15 ounces whole milk ricotta (about 2 cups)

1/8 teaspoon salt

¼ cup nutella

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk to combine milk, heavy cream, sugar, and salt.  Continue to whisk until sugar is dissolved.

Slowly whisk in vanilla and ricotta until completely combined.

Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl of an ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

About 5 minutes before the mixing is completed, add in the nutella.

*Took about 15 minutes.

Store in an airtight container and place in the freezer.

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Sometimes I have leftover ingredients from a recipe and I am able to reuse it for another recipe like this spinach and ricotta stuffed shells.  I used the leftover ricotta mixture from my recent lasagna recipe and just added spinach to it.  What is also great about these stuffed shells is that it is freezer friendly and I even tested it out for all you already.  I made the spinach and ricotta stuffed shells and froze them in freezer bags.  You would just need to bake the frozen stuffed shells longer, about 45 to 50 minutes instead of 30 minutes.  These spinach and ricotta stuffed shells went great with my basil tomato sauce.  Top with extra parmesan cheese if you want it to be extra cheesy.

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

12 ounces jumbo pasta shells, cooked

2 cups basil tomato sauce (recipe here)

7 ounces ricotta cheese

1 egg, beaten

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

¼ cup parmesan cheese

6 ounces baby spinach

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and spread 1 cup of basil tomato sauce on bottom of baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, mozzarella, parmesan and spinach.

Spoon filling into each pasta shell. 

Arrange stuffed pasta shells in baking dish.  Spread remaining 1 cup tomato sauce over shells. 

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. 

Freezer Option:  You may prepare the stuffed shells ahead of time and place in a freezer bag (without the tomato sauce).  When ready to bake, there is no need to defrost, just place in baking dish with tomato sauce and bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Lasagna with Homemade Tomato Sauce

Lasagna can be an easy make ahead meal, especially if you make your tomato sauce ahead of time or use store bought sauce.  I actually like to use the no-boil lasagna noodles; it cuts the time in half and I don't notice any change in taste.  This time I made my own tomato sauce and added in sausage, but you could omit the meat if you want it to be vegetarian.  What I love about lasagna is how versatile it can be, you can add veggies, sometimes I add in mushrooms and/or spinach.  This recipe is a simple, traditional lasagna.  Enjoy!

Lasagna with Homemade Tomato Sauce

Printable Recipe

Ingredients for Tomato Sauce

28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

15 ounce can tomato sauce

6 ounce can tomato paste

16 ounce (1 package) hot pork sausage (I used Jimmy Dean brand.)

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon parsley, dried

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

2 teaspoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for Lasagna

9 ounce (1 box) no-boil lasagna noodles (I used Barilla brand.)

14 ounce ricotta cheese (I used whole milk ricotta.)

2 eggs, beaten

4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

½ cup parmesan cheese

Directions for Tomato Sauce

In a dutch oven, over medium heat, cook sausage until browned.  Add in minced garlic.

Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomatoe sauce, and tomato paste.  Add in parsely, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt and pepper.

Cover and simmer on low heat for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Allow to cool.

Directions for Lasagna

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium sized bowl, combine beaten eggs, ricotta cheese, 2 cups of mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.  Set aside.

Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Spread about 2 cups of tomato sauce in bottom of baking dish.

Arrange 4 lasagna noodles on top of tomato sauce, the noodles will overlap slightly.

Spread 1/3 ricotta cheese mixture over noodles.  Top with ½ cup of mozzarella cheese and 1 cup tomato sauce.

Next layer, arrange 4 lasagna noodles, 1/3 ricotta cheese mixture, ½ cup mozzarella cheese and 1 cup tomato sauce.

Next layer, arrange 4 lasagna noodles , remaining ricotta cheese mixture, ½ cup mozzarella cheese and 1 cup tomato sauce.

Last layer, 4 lasagna noodles, remaining tomato sauce, and ½ cup mozzarella cheese.

Bake covered with foil for 40 to 50 minutes.  (Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray to prevent foil from sticking to the cheese.)

Uncover and continue baking for additional 5 to 7 minutes minutes until cheese is melted.

Let stand  and cool for 15 minutes before serving.