Italian Archives

Category: Italian

15
Jul
2016

Sun Dried Tomato, Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

categories: Chicken, Italian, Main Dishes

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Stuffed chicken breasts, filled with spinach, mozzarella cheese and sun-dried tomatoes are lightly seared, then baked, in this easy dish!
Today I am happy to share and recommend a unique and delicious recipe I found on Pinterest for stuffed chicken breasts. YUM.

How can you go wrong with Italian seasoned, pan-seared (then baked) chicken breasts, stuffed full of fresh baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, AND ooey, gooey mozzarella cheese? I mean, really… how could this NOT taste good? Here’s how to make them.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Stuffed Chicken Breasts

The first thing you will need to do is mix up the Italian “dressing” in a small bowl. This will only take a minute or less.

This is what it will look like once combined… it’s a bit thicker than a normal dressing or sauce.

Prepare The Chicken Breasts For Stuffing

Carefully cut a “pocket” into each of the chicken breasts. Slice deep into each chicken breast (horizontally), but DO NOT cut all the way through the chicken breast! After cutting, they should be able to open almost all the way (like this, shown below).

Cover the chicken breasts inside and out with the Italian “dressing”. A pastry brush works well for this.

Creating The Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Stuff one half of each chicken breast with thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed). I was lucky to be able to use the sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil that I grew in our garden, dehydrated, then packed in oil last Fall! You can find jars of sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed) in most grocery stores nowadays.

Place the slices of mozzarella cheese on top of the tomatoes.

Top the mozzarella slices with a handful of fresh baby spinach leaves. Whoo Hoo… they’re almost done now!

Seal Up Then Brown The Chicken

Now close the chicken breasts up, stuffing as much as you can into each piece. Secure the chicken breast, top to bottom, with several toothpicks to hold it all together. I used 3 toothpicks for each one, putting them in at a diagonal.

Heat olive oil in an OVENPROOF skillet until really hot. Carefully add the stuffed chicken breasts and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until each side is seared golden brown in color.

Oven Time!

After browning both sides of the stuffed chicken breasts, place the skillet (and chicken) into a preheated 350 degree oven. Cook the chicken for 15-18 minutes for small and medium breasts.

Larger chicken breasts will need to cook a few minutes longer). This is what they will look like when you remove the skillet from the oven. Lots of gooey cheese and juices!

Serve The Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Place the chicken onto individual serving plates, and for goodness sake… REMOVE THE TOOTHPICKS!!! (Just sayin’ – no one wants to bite into a toothpick now, do they?) Spoon a bit of the sauce and/or melted cheese over the top of each chicken breast, and SERVE! Doesn’t that look GOOD?

I cut this one in half so you can see what the inside looks like! Pretty sure that you’re gonna like this chicken dish. It is really good!

I hope you will consider trying this wonderful chicken recipe… we really enjoyed it! Have a blessed day, and thank you for stopping by. I hope you will come back again soon.

Looking For More CHICKEN Recipes?

You can find all of my chicken recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of them you will enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so. If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
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Recipe Source: http://www.recipetineats.com/sun-dried-tomato-spinach-cheese-stuffed-chicken-breast/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Sun Dried Tomato, Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

18 mins

Total Time

33 mins

Stuffed chicken breasts, filled with spinach, mozzarella cheese and sun-dried tomatoes are lightly seared, then baked, in this easy dish!

Category: Dinner, Entree

Cuisine: American

Keyword: stuffed chicken breasts

Servings: 2 servings

Calories Per Serving: 439 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For The Italian "Dressing":

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar (may substitute lemon juice, if desired)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

For Chicken:

2 small or medium boneless , skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil packed), drained and cut into thin strips
4 slices mozzarella cheese (2 per chicken breast to cover)
Handful of fresh baby spinach leaves
2 teaspoons olive oil (for pan-searing)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180C).
Mix Italian "dressing" ingredients in a small bowl until combined.
Slice a pocket in each chicken breast. Cut far into each breast (horizontally), but do not slice all the way through. Cover the chicken breasts inside and out with the Italian "dressing". I used a pastry brush.
Stuff one half of each piece of chicken with a layer of sun-dried (and drained) tomatoes. Cover tomatoes with mozzarella cheese slices, then cover cheese with baby spinach leaves. Try to get as much of the filling stuffed inside of the chicken as you can. Use toothpicks to hold each piece together. I used 3 toothpicks for each breast, and inserted them through at an angle.
Heat oil on medium-high in an ovenproof skillet until very hot. Carefully place the chicken breasts into hot skillet. Sear them (without moving them) for 2-3 minutes, then carefully turn over and repeat with other side, until golden brown on both sides.
Place skillet with chicken into preheated oven. Continue cooking for 15-18 minutes. Larger breasts may take a couple minutes longer (it may also take a bit longer if you are cooking more than 4 breasts at a time).
Remove from oven. Place chicken onto individual serving plates. REMOVE TOOTHPICKS. Spoon up some of the juices, and melted mozzarella cheese; place on top of chicken. Serve & enjoy!

Recipe Notes

If you are using really large chicken breasts, you can cut them in half once done, and you will end up with 4 decent sized portions (budget stretcher 101)

Nutrition Facts

Sun Dried Tomato, Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Amount Per Serving (1 piece)

Calories 439 Calories from Fat 198

% Daily Value*

Fat 22g34%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Cholesterol 117mg39%

Sodium 660mg29%

Potassium 1487mg42%

Carbohydrates 19g6%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 41g82%

Vitamin A 2210IU44%

Vitamin C 16.3mg20%

Calcium 345mg35%

Iron 3.9mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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20
Jan
2016

Chicken Thigh Osso Bucco

categories: Chicken, Italian, Main Dishes

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Chicken Thigh Osso Bucco is a delicious twist on an Italian classic. Braised in white wine, chicken stock & veggies, it’s served on mashed potatoes or polenta!

I enjoy searching for and finding new recipes to make for our family and friends. It’s especially fun when I stumble onto a recipe, make it, and enjoy it so much that I KNOW it will be made over and over again. Such is the case with this recipe for Chicken Thigh Osso Bucco!

Before making this dish, I had to find an answer to one truly important question. Exactly WHAT IS OSSO BUCCO in the first place? Well, here’s the answer! In Italian “osso bucco” means “bone with a hole”, and refers to the typical way this recipe is prepared – with veal shanks. Veal shanks have a bone filled with bone marrow in the center of the meat, therefore that is how it got the name. Makes sense, right?

Scroll Down For A Pintable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Chicken Thigh Osso Bucco

THIS recipe uses chicken thighs (bone in, skin on) instead of veal shanks, but the method of cooking is virtually the same. The meat braises for almost an hour in liquid, which results in a very tender piece of chicken.

This recipe for chicken thigh osso bucco originally was featured on the television show “The Chew”, and was prepared by host Clinton Kelly. I stumbled upon a slight adaptation of that recipe on another website, and that is the version I used to make this delicious dinner! Chicken thigh osso bucco is served on top of creamy mashed potatoes (or polenta, if that’s your preference). The dish smells fabulous, and tastes fabulous!

Prepare The Chicken

Here’s how you prepare this dish: *Note: original recipe calls for 8 chicken thighs. I used 4 since I was only cooking for two people, but kept everything else in recipe the same.

Dredge chicken thighs in flour to coat, then season them with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot. Add the floured chicken thighs to the hot oil, then sear the meat on both sides, until golden brown.

Once chicken is browned on both sides (but not cooked all the way through), transfer it to a plate or wire rack. Let it rest.

Cook The Veggies

Place the diced carrots and onions into the same pan you cooked the chicken thighs in (do not clean pan). Cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally until the veggies have softened.

Add garlic, tomato paste, white wine, chicken stock, rosemary and thyme to the veggies in the pan. Stir, to mix these ingredients together. Continue to cook until the liquid has reduced by about half.

Simmer The Chicken

Once the liquid is reduced by about half, add the chicken thighs back into the pan. Put a lid on the pan. Continue to simmer the chicken on low for about 45-50 minutes, until the chicken thigh osso bucco is cooked all the way through. Once that is completed, you are ready to serve this delicious dish.

Time To Serve Chicken Thigh Osso Bucco

To serve, place the chicken thigh osso bucco on top of creamy mashed potatoes (or polenta). Spoon some of the leftover sauce and veggies over the top of each piece of the chicken. Grab your fork, and get ready to dig in.

That’s it! Chicken Thigh Osso Bucco is easy to make, fabulous tasting, and very filling! It also looks good on the plate, right? YUM! The chicken and veggies are very tender, and easy to cut. I think you will LOVE it!

I really hope you will consider making this chicken thigh osso bucco. It is absolutely delicious, and will definitely be making it again! Have a wonderful day… praying we will all seek to be an encourager to someone who might need it today.

Looking For More Chicken Recipes?

There are LOTS of chicken recipes on my website. You can check them out using the Recipe Index at the top of the page. Some of our favorites include:

Interested In More Recipes?

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Recipe Source: http://dinnerthendessert.com/clinton-kelleys-chicken-thigh-osso-bucco/

4.8 from 10 votes

Chicken Thigh Osso Bucco

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

Chicken Thigh Osso Bucco is a delicious twist on an Italian classic. Braised in white wine, chicken stock & veggies, it's served on mashed potatoes or polenta!

Category: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken thigh osso bucco

Servings: 8 servings

Calories Per Serving: 327 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs bone in, skin on
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
olive oil (enough to cover bottom of pan)
1 brown onion (diced)
1 large carrot (peeled, sliced, cut into quarters)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
parsley for garnish (if desired)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place flour, salt and pepper on plate. Mix. Dredge chicken in flour mixture until all sides are covered.
Add olive oil (enough to cover bottom of pan) to large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat on medium.
When oil is hot, add chicken. Sear chicken until it is browned on both sides (you might need to brown chicken in batches). Remove chicken from pan.
Add a bit more olive oil if necessary. Add onions and carrots; cook until softened (4-5 minutes).
Add minced garlic. Cook for one more minute, stirring to prevent burning.
Add tomato paste, wine, chicken stock, rosemary and thyme. Stir to combine all ingredients. Cook until the liquid in the pan has reduced by about half.
Add the chicken thighs back to the pan; turn heat to low. Cover pan, and cook on low for 45-50 minutes (or until is cooked all the way through.
Serve cooked chicken on top of creamy mashed potatoes or polenta. Spoon some of the veggies and sauce over the top of chicken. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Thigh Osso Bucco

Amount Per Serving (1 piece)

Calories 327 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 111mg37%

Sodium 298mg13%

Potassium 357mg10%

Carbohydrates 10g3%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 1390IU28%

Vitamin C 2.1mg3%

Calcium 19mg2%

Iron 1.5mg8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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11
Dec
2015

Florentine Lasagna Roll

categories: Italian, Main Dishes, Meatless Meals, Pasta

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Florentine Lasagna Roll is a delicious, easy, meatless dish with spinach and cheese filled pasta, rolled & baked, covered in an Italian tomato sauce.
I’ve been making this meatless Florentine Lasagna Roll for almost 20 years… for potlucks and delicious dinners with our family! Filled with spinach, three kinds of cheese, garlic and onion, then covered in a simple Italian flavored tomato sauce, this recipe is easy and FABULOUS!

Even though this meal is “meatless”, you don’t need it with three cheeses, spinach and fantastic Italian flavors shining through in this meal!

The recipe is “simple”; all you do is cook lasagna noodles, mix together a cheese and spinach filling and spread it over the noodles, roll it up, cover with an Italian-flavored tomato sauce and bake. Easy, right? Right. Anyone can make this great dish! Here’s how:

Scroll Down for A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of the Page

How To Make This Lasagna Roll

Cook the spinach according to package directions, and then drain it very well, to remove as much liquid as possible.

In a medium sized bowl, combine cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, cooked and drained spinach, chopped onion, garlic cloves, black pepper, and egg.

Mix well, to completely combine ingredients. Set aside.

Cook The Pasta

Cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions. You need 10 cooked lasagna noodles for this recipe. I cook 12, in case any of them split or break. Think of it as pasta insurance. Once cooked, drain the noodles, then arrange them on a large sheet of wax paper, overlapping the long (curly) sides to form a rectangle.

Prepare The Florentine Lasagna Roll

Once noodles are fully arranged, carefully spread the filling over the noodles. I put spoonfuls of the spinach filling over the noodles, then use the back of a spoon to spread out the filling.

Roll It Up!

Spread grated Mozzarella cheese all over the cheese/spinach filling, then carefully roll up the pasta and filling.

To roll it up: Using the wax paper to help, begin tightly rolling the noodles up (starting with the side of rectangle with straight pasta edges). Use the wax paper to help roll noodles tightly as you go. Tuck the noodle edges under as you complete the first roll, so you have a tight, firm roll to begin with.

I pulled back some of the wax paper as I rolled to show you what it should look like.

When pasta is completely rolled up, place the finished roll on a large baking sheet (one with rimmed edges). Carefully remove the last bit of wax paper from underneath the roll. The lasagna roll should look like this (see photo below).

Make The Sauce For The Florentine Lasagna Roll

Combine the sauce ingredients (tomato sauce, sugar, basil and oregano) in a medium bowl, and then stir to combine. .

Spoon the sauce over the entire surface (top and sides) of the Florentine lasagna roll. Use all of the sauce.

When completely covered with sauce, grate Parmesan cheese all over the top and sides of the roll.

Time To Bake The Florentine Lasagna Roll

Bake in a preheated, 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from oven, and let the Florentine Lasagna Roll stand for 5 minutes before attempting to slice it.

With a sharp knife cut slices of the Florentine Lasagna Roll, and place on individual serving plates with a large spatula. Serve with some crusty bread and a great salad, and BOOM! You’ve got yourself a great Italian “meatless” meal… just like that!

Trust me… this meal is DELICIOUS. You won’t even miss having meat in it. The flavors are amazing, it’s really EASY to make, and looks quite nice, too! Sure hope you will give this recipe a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised! If you enjoy Italian food, you might also be interested in Florentine Manicotti, which is delicious, and uses ricotta cheese in the filling.

Have a great day during this busy holiday season. My husband and I made an intentional decision to NOT fill up this holiday season with “busy-ness” and looking for “things” to entertain us, as our culture tends to promote. Instead, we are enjoying a simple holiday season this year, trying to focus on what Christmas really means to us… the birth of our Savior, Jesus. His humble birth changed everything, and for that we are GRATEFUL.

Looking for More ITALIAN Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a lot of great Italian dishes you’ll enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Source: unknown (wrote recipe on a 3×5 card over 20 years ago- didn’t note where I got it from)

5 from 1 vote

Florentine Lasagna Roll

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

55 mins

Florentine Lasagna Roll is a delicious, easy, meatless dish with spinach and 3 cheeses filled pasta, rolled, then covered in an Italian flavored tomato sauce.

Category: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: lasagna roll

Servings: 6 servings

Calories Per Serving: 420 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

10 cooked lasagna noodles

For The Filling:

10 ounces package frozen spinach , cooked, and well drained.
8 ounces package cream cheese (room temp.)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese , grated
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic , minced
1 large egg , slightly beaten
1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese (do not add to filling-keep separate!)

For The Sauce:

24 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

For garnish:

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To Make The Filling:

Cook spinach according to package instructions. Drain well. In small bowl, combine cream cheese, cooked spinach, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, chopped onion, black pepper, minced garlic and egg. Stir well until mixture is fully combined. Set aside.

To Make Lasagna Roll:

Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Remove from heat; drain.
On wax paper, arrange the noodles overlapping the long (curly) sides to form a large rectangle.
Spread cheese/spinach filling over surface of noodles. Spread grated Mozzarella cheese over the cheese/spinach filling.
Starting at short ends of the pasta (non curly), roll up the pasta (in jelly roll fashion), using the wax paper to help. Tuck the ends under and firm up the roll, as you roll it up, continuing to use the wax paper as a guide. When it is roll completely, carefully transfer (might have to use two spatulas) the roll to a large (9x13) baking sheet. Carefully remove the wax paper. Seam side should be down on the sheet.

To Make Sauce:

In a small bowl, combine tomato sauce, sugar, basil and oregano. Stir to combine.

To Finish Roll:

Spread the sauce over top and sides of entire lasagna roll. Grate Parmesan cheese over top of the roll. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven. Let Lasagna Roll stand for 5 minutes before attempting to slice. Using a sharp knife, slice into serving sizes, and using a spatula, place slices onto individual serving plates. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Florentine Lasagna Roll

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 420 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Cholesterol 85mg28%

Sodium 693mg30%

Potassium 469mg13%

Carbohydrates 39g13%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 19g38%

Vitamin A 6495IU130%

Vitamin C 6.8mg8%

Calcium 351mg35%

Iron 3.2mg18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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11
Nov
2015

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce

categories: Italian, Main Dishes, Meatless Meals, Pasta

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Cheese tortellini, enhanced with a cream sauce featuring tomatoes, spinach, garlic and Parmesan cheese is delicious, comforting and filling!

Well, Fall weather has definitely come to the Pacific Northwest, bringing with it LOTS of rain and cooler temperatures, I have felt myself craving pasta lately. It’s funny- in the Summer I want to BBQ our meals; in Fall and Winter I crave “comfort food” recipes, much like this easy recipe for Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce.

My husband and I enjoyed this “meatless” pasta dish last week. Store bought tortellini is cooked, then served in a delicious cream sauce, which features the flavors of spinach, tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil, and of course… Parmesan cheese! It’s a very easy dish to pull together, as well, which ALWAYS scores big with me. Here’s how you make it:

Bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook tortellini, according to package directions, while you are making the sauce. Time it so that the tortellini is done when the sauce is ready.

Cook frozen chopped spinach according to package directions (I didn’t have any so I used fresh baby spinach, chopped it, then cooked it for a couple minutes in boiling water to wilt it).

Drain the spinach really well using a strainer. Set the drained spinach aside. (I drained it so well I BROKE this strainer. Oops. Be careful out there, folks!)

In a large skillet, sauté onion in oil until it is tender (3-4 minutes).

Once onions have softened, add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring well.

Add tomatoes, spinach, basil, salt and pepper to the skillet.

Give it a good stir, then continue cooking the mixture on medium-high heat until almost all of the liquid has cooked out (this will take about 5-6 minutes).

Pour in the whipping cream.

Grate Parmesan cheese and add it to the mixture.

Give the sauce a good stir. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to LOW and simmer for 8-10 minutes (or until the sauce has thickened). Leave the skillet uncovered while cooking.

About the time the sauce is finished cooking and hot, the tortellini should be done cooking.

Drain the cooked tortellini, then add to the skillet full of the tomato-spinach cream sauce.

Gently stir, to coat the tortellini with the sauce. Place tortellini and sauce in serving dish, or serve portions onto individual plates. Grate additional Parmesan cheese on top of each individual serving, if desired, and serve while hot!

That’s it! Serve this with a mixed green salad for a hearty dinner! The recipe serves 6 (if using 16 oz. frozen tortellini-see Note Section of printable recipe). We enjoyed the leftovers, too!!

Have a great day! Think of ways you can encourage a friend, neighbor, or family member today, and act on it… be someone who makes a positive difference in someone’s life!

Recipe Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/tortellini-with-tomato-cream-sauce

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

25 mins

Cheese tortellini, enhanced with a cream sauce featuring tomatoes, spinach, garlic and Parmesan cheese is delicious, comforting and filling!

Category: Dinner, Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: cheese tortellini

Servings: 6 servings

Calories Per Serving: 503 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

1 package (16 oz,) frozen cheese tortellini
1 small brown onion , chopped
2 Tablespoonfuls olive oil
3 garlic cloves , minced
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Additional grated Parmesan cheese for garnish , if desired

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make tortellini:

Cook the tortellini according to package instructions. While the tortellini is cooking, make the sauce.

Make Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce:

While tortellini is cooking, sauté chopped onion in olive oil (in large skillet) for 3-4 minutes, until onion has softened. Add garlic to skillet; cook for one minute, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn.
Add tomatoes (and juice), drained spinach, basil, salt and black pepper to the skillet. Cook this mixture (uncovered) for 5-6 minutes on medium-high heat, until almost all of the liquid has been cooked away.
Stir in the whipping cream and the Parmesan cheese. Stir well, then bring to a boil. Once it reaches the boiling point, reduce heat back down to low; simmer and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened up a bit.
When tortellini is finished cooking, drain it well, then add tortellini to tomato-spinach cream sauce in skillet. Gently stir to fully coat pasta with the sauce, then serve while hot.
If desired (I recommend), garnish each individual serving with additional grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

-No frozen spinach? Use fresh baby spinach. Place spinach leaves in boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drain. Use as directed.
-Can also use a 9 oz.. pkg. of FRESH tortellini. Makes a couple less servings (and extra sauce), but is good substitution for 16 oz. frozen tortellini.

Nutrition Facts

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 503 Calories from Fat 279

% Daily Value*

Fat 31g48%

Saturated Fat 17g106%

Cholesterol 117mg39%

Sodium 902mg39%

Potassium 257mg7%

Carbohydrates 39g13%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 17g34%

Vitamin A 6485IU130%

Vitamin C 4.8mg6%

Calcium 312mg31%

Iron 3.2mg18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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14
Sep
2015

Easy Spaghetti Sauce With Italian Sausage

categories: Italian, Main Dishes, Pasta, Pork, Sauces and Dressings

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Spaghetti Sauce with Italian Sausage is a delicious, quick and easy meal to make, with tomatoes, sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, and Italian spices.

When I make spaghetti sauce, I typically cook the sauce for several hours. However, sometimes I don’t have time to spare, so I make this EASY and quick spaghetti sauce. The sauce is is flavored with Italian sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, and lots of spices. It’s delicious and filling, especially on a “cool weather” kind of day, like today in the Pacific Northwest.

I grew up eating my Mom’s spaghetti sauce, which she cooked with ground beef in the sauce. While that is good, my husband and I prefer the taste of Italian sausage in our sauce. I’ve been making it this way for YEARS! If you’ve never made sauce with Italian sausage, I hope you will consider it. The spaghetti sauce only takes about 10 minutes of prep work, then the rest of the time (30 minutes) is inactive “simmering” time. Not too much time to invest, and the results are wonderful!

I like to make extra spaghetti sauce to freeze for another day! The recipe serves 4-6 depending on serving size. Even if you can’t use that many servings in a single meal, it’s nice to have extra sauce available, for other meals).

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Spaghetti Sauce With Italian Sausage

Start the party off by sautéing Italian sausage (which has been removed from the casing) with chopped onion. The meat and onions are cooked on medium heat in a large skillet.

Add chopped green pepper, and continue cooking until the Italian sausage is fully cooked.

Drain the grease from the skillet, then add tomato paste, a large can of diced tomatoes, and water. Sometimes I add in 1/2 cup red wine, if I have an open bottle (optional, though).

Next add the spices (oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper). Stir the spaghetti sauce well, to combine.

Add mushrooms. I used some of my dehydrated mushrooms (they ARE kind of handy to have around and re-hydrate wonderfully in the sauce).

Of course, you can use the same amount of fresh, sliced mushrooms. If you don’t like mushrooms, just leave ’em out!

Cook the Spaghetti Sauce

Bring the spaghetti sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes or so. The sauce will reduce a bit, and all those yummy flavors will permeate the sauce.

While the sauce is cooking, cook the spaghetti noodles (or any other pasta). Drain the cooked pasta, then place the spaghetti noodles onto individual serving plates. Top pasta with a ladle of this yummy spaghetti sauce, then garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.

That’s it! It’s such an inexpensive and delicious hearty meal, with an amazing tasting Italian spaghetti sauce! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you will come back again soon. Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More PASTA Recipes?

You can find all of my pasta recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of them, including:

You can find many other pasta recipes in my Recipe Index at the top of each post. Have a great day, and Buon Appetito (Italian, for “enjoy your meal!)!

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe source: My brain, in Italian mode.

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Easy Spaghetti Sauce With Italian Sausage

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

40 mins

Spaghetti Sauce with Italian Sausage is a delicious, quick and easy meal to make, with tomatoes, sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, and Italian spices.

Category: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: spaghetti sauce

Servings: 6

Calories Per Serving: 278 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

3 Italian sausage links (mild or hot), casings removed.
3/4 cup chopped brown onion
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 large can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 cup water (or substitute 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup red wine, if desired)
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano (dried)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon basil (dried)
1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (dried)
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
Grated Parmesan cheese , for garnish (if desired)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Remove casing from sausage links by cutting with a knife down the length of the link, and removing the sausage. Discard the casing. Crumble the sausage into a large skillet.
Sauté the sausage and chopped onion on medium heat. Add the green pepper; cook until sausage is fully cooked. Drain the grease out of the pan (discard), and return skillet to stovetop.
Add tomato paste, can of diced tomatoes (including juice), and water to skillet. Add oregano, Italian seasoning, basil, garlic powder, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Add sliced mushrooms. Stir all ingredients well, to combine.
Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to low and continue to cook for about 30 minutes. The sauce will reduce down a bit, and the flavors will permeate the sauce. Taste test the sauce and add additional salt or spices as desired.
While sauce is cooking, prepare the pasta of your choice according to package directions. Drain pasta, then serve with spaghetti sauce ladled over the top. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired, and serve HOT!

Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation does not include pasta of your choice. It also does not include optional Parmesan cheese topping (optional).

Nutrition Facts

Easy Spaghetti Sauce With Italian Sausage

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 278 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 42mg14%

Sodium 1199mg52%

Potassium 950mg27%

Carbohydrates 19g6%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 12g24%

Vitamin A 780IU16%

Vitamin C 28.1mg34%

Calcium 83mg8%

Iron 3.7mg21%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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10
Jul
2015

Florentine Manicotti

categories: Italian, Main Dishes, Meatless Meals, Pasta

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Florentine manicotti, filled with ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, and covered with marinara sauce is a meatless, easy to make Italian dish.

My husband and I love Italian food! One of the dishes we enjoy occasionally is this “meatless” recipe for Florentine Manicotti. Pasta shells filled with three cheeses (creamy ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan), spinach, and covered in spaghetti sauce. Yum. I like to think of manicotti as the Italian version of Mexican enchiladas!

For anyone unfamiliar with manicotti, it is a large, tube shaped type of pasta that is typically filled with meat or cheese and is baked in spaghetti sauce. This particular recipe is meatless; it’s delicious, and is a fairly easy dish to prepare. I use a recipe I found years ago on a box of pasta, and tweaked it a bit by adding cooked spinach and a couple additional spices to the cheesy filling, to give it a true “Florentine” touch!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The bottom Of The Page

Make The Filling For Florentine Manicotti

Cook a small box of frozen spinach, according to the package directions. Drain it very well, and let the spinach cool. When it has cooled off, mix up the cheese filling, and then add the spinach.

Prepare The Manicotti For Filling

Here’s what manicotti pasta shells look like BEFORE they are cooked. They’re each about 5 inches long. The tubes of pasta are fragile, so be very careful not to break them.

Carefully add the pasta to a large pot of boiling, salted water, and cook it for 7 minutes.

Once done cooking, carefully remove the manicotti shells to a colander and drain them well.

Before you begin filling the Florentine manicotti put a layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a baking pan.

Make The Florentine Manicotti

Gently fill each of the pasta tubes with the cheese and spinach filling. I hold the shell in my hand and fill one side with the cheese/spinach filling (using a spoon and sometimes a butter knife) clear to the middle. Switch to the other end of the shell and fill the other side. Try to get as much filling into the shell as possible without splitting it.

Once the Florentine manicotti shells are filled, lay them on top of the spaghetti sauce.

Cover the manicotti with the rest of the spaghetti sauce. I cover the entire pasta shell with sauce, then sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese (or grated mozzarella cheese).

Time To Bake!

Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes longer. when done, the Florentine manicotti is heated through, and the cheese filling is bubbly.

Let cool for a minute or two (easier to serve up) , then remove the manicotti to serving plates using a spatula. The only thing left to do is grab a fork, dig in, and enjoy this tasty dish!

Hope you will give this recipe a try! I may not have the most mouthwatering “professional” photos to share, but trust me. Florentine manicotti are delicious, and I really think you will enjoy them! Have a great day, and please come back soon.

Looking for More ITALIAN Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of delicious Italian dishes you might want to check out, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe adapted from: Box of American Beauty Manicotti Pasta Shells.

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Florentine Manicotti

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 25 mins

Florentine manicotti, filled with ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, and covered with marinara sauce is a meatless, easy to make Italian dish.

Category: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: florentine manicotti

Servings: 6 servings

Calories Per Serving: 332 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

6-8 uncooked manicotti pasta shells
15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese (1 3/4 cups)
2 cups (8 ounces) grated mozzarella cheese
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach (cooked per package directions, and drained well)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley , chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground oregano
3 cups (or one 28 ounce jar) prepared spaghetti sauce
Additional Parmesan or mozzarella cheese (for garnish, optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook frozen chopped spinach per package instructions. Remove from heat; drain WELL. Let spinach cool.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, grated mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder and ground oregano. Stir well until fully combined.
Add spinach to the cheese mixture. Stir well, to combine.
Cook manicotti shells according to package instructions (add to boiling water-7 minutes cook time is typical). When done, remove from heat, drain gently, and let dry.
Fill each shell using a spoon until full of filling.
Spread some of the spaghetti sauce over the bottom of 13x9 baking pan (enough to fully cover); put the filled pasta in a single layer on top of sauce.
Spoon the rest of the spaghetti sauce over the top of the manicotti. Sprinkle with additional grated Parmesan cheese (or mozzarella), if desired. Cover pan with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes; remove foil, then cook an additional 15 minutes. Manicotti should be hot and cheese bubbly when done. Remove pan from oven. Let sit for a minute or two, then gently remove manicotti to individual serving plates using a spatula.
Serve with a green salad and a slice of crusty french bread, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Florentine Manicotti

Amount Per Serving (1 manicotti)

Calories 332 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 45mg15%

Sodium 1270mg55%

Potassium 736mg21%

Carbohydrates 25g8%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 24g48%

Vitamin A 6720IU134%

Vitamin C 13mg16%

Calcium 596mg60%

Iron 2.9mg16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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26
Jun
2015

Make Grilled Pizzas On Your BBQ!

categories: For The BBQ Grill, Italian, Main Dishes

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Learn how easy it is to make grilled pizzas on your BBQ grill, which helps keep your kitchen cool in the Summer!
Want to beat the heat in the kitchen this summer? Why not make grilled pizzas on your BBQ grill? That way you can kill two birds with one stone… keep the ol’ kitchen cool, AND enjoy a great homemade pizza!

I heard someone say they loved grilled pizzas right off the BBQ grill. Wait… What? It sounded like a great cooking experiment so I decided to give it a try. Result? Completely awesome! It’s really much easier than I thought it would be! Get your hands on some pizza dough. Purchase it at the grocery store or make your own.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make Or Purchase Pizza Dough

I like to make my own grilled pizza dough. If you want to see the recipe for the dough I use, you can find it on my blog post for “Make It Yourself! Pepperoni Pizza”. The most important tip about this way of making pizza is to have all the pizza toppings ready to go (chopped, diced, etc.) before you put the dough on the grill!

Make the pizza dough (or open the package of pre-made dough – whatever). When done, divide dough into 6-8 little balls (if wanting small individual sized pizzas) OR (as in my pictures), divide dough into 2 medium sized dough balls. Roll or stretch dough out into a round shape (don’t worry if they’re not perfectly round shaped… no biggie).

Time To Make Grilled Pizzas On Your BBQ!

Heat your BBQ grill on medium high heat. Brush olive oil (important-don’t forget this step – this will keep dough from sticking to grill, and will crisp the dough up a bit!!!) on both sides of the circle-shaped pizza dough. Carefully slide the pizza dough onto the grill rack.

Cook dough for 3-4 minutes on the first side. The bottom should be lightly browned and have grill marks. The top of the dough will look done. Carefully remove dough and turn it upside down (*GRILLED SIDE UP) onto a cutting board.

Quickly add the sauce and toppings to your pizza. If you’re feeling brave, just flip the pizza over and add the sauce and toppings while it is on the grill. (that was too hot for me…I just had a wood cutting board outside and transferred it back and forth. Worked like a charm.

Carefully slide pizzas back onto grill and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. We put the lid on the BBQ, which helped the cheese melt. The bottom of the dough should be lightly browned.

Remove pizzas from grill, slice and serve, with any last minute garnishes. Serve immediately… enjoy!

We loved the taste of the grilled pizzas… and I personally loved the fact that our kitchen stayed cool! We loved our grilled BBQ chicken pizza, and our veggie delight pizza, and look forward to making this easy dinner again this summer. It sure helps to keep our kitchen cool!

I am not posting a printable recipe because everyone likes different kinds of pizza, toppings, sauces, AND pizza dough. I simply wanted to describe the “how-to’s” of grilling fresh pizzas on a BBQ so anyone could do it themselves! Hope you will give it a try!

Looking for More PIZZA Recipes?

You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a variety of pizza recipes, which include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Have a great day.

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18
May
2015

Fettucine Senese

categories: Italian, Main Dishes, Pasta

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Fettucine Senese is a wonderful Italian pasta dish, featuring a cream sauce with proscuitto, Italian sausage, mushrooms, and Pecorino Romano cheese.
I made Fettucine Senese for a pasta-themed dinner party we attended two years ago. Our menu featured several pasta entrees (a variety of fresh pastas were made during the dinner party), and this is the delicious entree I made. The sauce is an Olive Garden copycat recipe, which I found in one of my cookbooks, and it is DELICIOUS!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Where “Senese” Originated

“Senese” is the term used to refer to people from the town of Siena, Italy. This senese sauce is one of the sauces served on penne pasta at Olive Garden restaurants. Senese sauce is a cream sauce, with proscuitto, Italian sausage, mushrooms, herbs, and Pecorino Romano cheese. It is fabulous, served on fettucine noodles.

We Made Our Own Pasta At A Dinner Party

All of us at the dinner party pitched in to make several kinds of fresh pasta. My husband and a friend made the fettucine noodles from scratch used in this recipe, that evening.

How I Found The Recipe For Fettucine Senese

I found th recipe for the sauce in one of my cookbooks, while searching for pasta recipes. The sauce sounded interesting, so I gave it a try. Good move! The flavors were delicious, because proscuitto and Italian sausage really packed a LOT of flavor into the sauce.

This recipe for fettucine senese is a winner! The sauce is the star, and it is really easy to prepare all in one pan. Add the cooked pasta of your choice (I used fettucine), and you’ve got a fantastic, and easy Italian fettucine senese that serves 4!

Is Fettucine Senese Difficult To Make?

The sauce and pasta is quite easy to prepare. It’s EASY, EASY, EASY! If you can stir and cook pasta while making the sauce, you can make this delicious fettucine senese in about 30 minutes!

It was all I could do to stay out of the cooking pan while the sauce was cooking. It smelled and tastes so good! The recipe is easily doubled, if you have more mouths to feed. Serve it with fettucine, or the pasta of your choice! You’re gonna LOVE Fettucine Senese!

I really hope you will give this one a try. It’s absolutely delicious! Have a fantastic day, friends! Thanks for stopping by, and I truly hope you will come back again soon.

Looking For More PASTA Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few pasta recipes you might enjoy include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

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Fettucine Senese

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

25 mins

Fettucine Senese is a wonderful Italian pasta dish, featuring a cream sauce with proscuitto, Italian sausage, mushrooms, and Pecorino Romano cheese.

Category: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: fettucine senese

Servings: 8 servings

Calories Per Serving: 1259 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic , chopped
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces (1/2 pound) sliced portobello (or button) mushrooms, sliced thinly
6 Italian sausage links , casings removed
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons white wine (can substitute chicken broth, if desired)
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
4 cups heavy whipping cream (or half-and-half)
4 ounces proscuitto , chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh sage (minced) OR 1 teaspoon dried sage (plus extra for garnish)
1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley OR 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
8 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese , grated (plus extra for garnish)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1 pound fettucine pasta , cooked per package instructions)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (for pasta) while you are making sauce in another pan.

To make the sauce:

In a large soup pot or large saucepan, heat olive oil and butter until melted. Add and sauté chopped onion and garlic. Cook onions and garlic for a few minutes until softened.
Add Italian sausage (out of the casings); continue to break up sausage as it cooks. Once sausage is cooked and no longer pink, add wine. Bring mixture to a boil, then add in the flour a little at a time, stirring constantly.
Stir in whipping cream, chopped proscuitto, sage, parsley, Pecorino Romano cheese, garlic powder, and salt and pepper (to taste). Stir and cook until sauce has thickened up a bit and is smooth. Continue to cook sauce on a low simmer for 10 minutes. Stir frequently.
While sauce is cooking, prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain. Toss cooked, drained pasta with the sauce. Mix well, to combine. Transfer pasta to a warm serving plate or individual plates. Garnish with dried herbs and additional grated cheese, if desired, and serve.

Recipe Notes

The recipe makes a lot of sauce! You will probably have some left over.

Nutrition Facts

Fettucine Senese

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 1259 Calories from Fat 927

% Daily Value*

Fat 103g158%

Saturated Fat 48g300%

Cholesterol 321mg107%

Sodium 1135mg49%

Potassium 625mg18%

Carbohydrates 50g17%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 34g68%

Vitamin A 2045IU41%

Vitamin C 4.1mg5%

Calcium 422mg42%

Iron 2.7mg15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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19
Mar
2015

Homemade Italian Dressing

categories: Italian, Sauces and Dressings

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Make an absolutely delicious homemade Italian dressing from scratch in about 5 minutes, to flavor your favorite mixed green salads.
I found this recipe for homemade Italian dressing years and years ago (can’t remember where), and wrote it down on a 3×5 card. The only writing on the index card other than the recipe is my description: “GOOD!” Super simple to make, and FULL of flavor, this Homemade Italian Dressing recipe is my “go to” when I want to make a quick “from scratch” salad dressing.

Seriously… from start to finish, this tasty homemade Italian dressing takes less than 5 minutes to make! As an added bonus… there are no weird “shelf-stabilizing” ingredients in it (with names I can’t pronounce) to be found. Most ingredients are basic ingredients and spices I always have in my home. Can’t beat that! Here’s how you make this lickety-split!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Homemade Italian Dressing

To make this homemade Italian dressing, measure the oil, lemon juice and white vinegar into a bowl. Add the rest of the dry ingredients (salt, sugar, dry mustard, onion powder, paprika, oregano, thyme), and 2 minced garlic cloves.

Whisk these ingredients together until the sugar and salt have dissolved and the mixture is fully blended.

Why Is This Homemade Italian Dressing Red In Color?

Once blended, the homemade Italian dressing will look like this photo below. The red color does NOT come from ketchup, but from the addition of the paprika!

Pour the salad dressing into a bottle or jar that can be sealed. I usually pour it through a funnel for less spills.

For BEST Homemade Italian Dressing Flavor

Put a lid on the bottle and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This helps the flavors to become fully incorporated. Once you’re ready to dress your salad, be sure to shake the homemade Italian dressing well, before serving.

That’s IT!!! I think it took longer to write this blog post than it did to make this delicious homemade Italian dressing. Hope you’ll give it a try on your next mixed green salad. I think you will really like it! Have a great day.

Looking For More SALAD DRESSING Recipes?

You can find all of my salad dressing recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few of our family favorites are:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Recipe Source: unknown

0 from 0 votes

Homemade Italian Dressing

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

5 mins

Make an absolutely delicious homemade Italian dressing from scratch in about 5 minutes, to flavor your favorite mixed green salads.

Category: Salad Dressing

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Italian dressing

Servings: 24 (1½ cups total)

Calories Per Serving: 122 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon thyme
2 garlic cloves , minced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Measure oil, lemon juice and vinegar into bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients. Whisk well to fully combine. Pour into a container that can be sealed well. Refrigerate salad dressing for at least 2 hours for BEST flavor.
Shake bottle well, before serving.
Serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Italian Dressing

Amount Per Serving (1 Tablespoons)

Calories 122

% Daily Value*

Sodium 97mg4%

Potassium 2mg0%

Vitamin A 20IU0%

Vitamin C 1.1mg1%

Calcium 1mg0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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18
Mar
2015

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Butter Sage Sauce

categories: Italian, Main Dishes, Meatless Meals, Pasta, Vegetable Dishes

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Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Butter Sage Sauce, with nutmeg and Parmesan cheese, is a delicious meatless dish that looks and tastes great!

I found a recipe on Pinterest for Butternut Squash Ravioli, drizzled with a browned butter and sage sauce, topped with Parmesan cheese. It’s fun to make homemade ravioli, and this recipe sounded good. So… I made it… and we really enjoyed it!

The creaminess of the roasted butternut squash, combined with the flavor of Parmesan cheese and a touch of nutmeg is amazing! The browned butter sauce (with only TWO ingredients!) that covered the pasta is so easy to make.

I decided to make my own ravioli from scratch because we have the cutest little pasta machine I received as a birthday gift several years ago. Seriously- I think making homemade pasta is very therapeutic and fun!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

But What If I Don’t Have A Pasta Machine?

However, if you don’t have a pasta machine, you still can make this recipe with two other options: 1) make pasta dough and roll it out by hand with brute strength, or 2) buy a package of won ton wrappers and use those instead of pasta.

If you go the purchased won ton route, this recipe just got a lot simpler! If you like the adventure of making and rolling your own pasta dough for ravioli, then this is still a very simple recipe… honest!

Roast The Butternut Squash

You will need to roast the butternut squash first! Peel, de-seed, and then cut it into cubes. Bake (per instructions in printable recipe card below) the butternut squash.

Time To Make The Ravioli Dough

Making the ravioli dough is kinda fun, at least for me it is! This time I used an easy egg-less recipe I found in my pasta machine instruction book. Mix the ingredients in a stand mixer with a dough hook on it.

Remove the dough from the mixer once dough comes together enough to form a ball. Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes, covered with a slightly damp dish towel.

Pasta Machine Fun!

Slice off a piece of the dough, and run it through your pasta machine, adjusting settings (per manufacturer instructions) until you have long strips of dough. Keep running the dough through the machine until you have very long, thin strips of dough.

The dough for making butternut squash ravioli needs to be really thin. If rolling it out by hand, keep at it until the dough is very thin!

Time To Fill The Butternut Squash Ravioli

After the butternut squash finishes roasting, mash it up, then mix it (using an electric beater) with the Parmesan cheese and nutmeg in a bowl. Place small spoonfuls of mixture onto the pasta sheets, leaving space in between each spoonful.

Now gently pull the dough up and over the top of the butternut squash, from front to back, to touch the other side of the dough. Carefully cut into individual raviolis like this:

Crimp the edges with a fork all the way around, sealing the edges shut like this:

Now the ravioli should (hopefully) look like this:

Cook The Browned Butter Sage Sauce

Bring a large saucepan full of salted water to a full boil. Right before you cook the ravioli (remember FRESH ravioli only takes 2-3 minutes to cook), make the browned butter/sage sauce.

Melt the butter with fresh sage leaves in a large skillet. I grow my own sage at home, so all I had to do was go out to my front porch and get some of the leaves… easy-peasy!

After the butter and sage have cooked for about 3 minutes, the butter will begin to turn light brown. It will be a bit more brown than this…and will smell somewhat “nutty”. Once the butter sauce is light brown in color, remove the skillet from the heat.

The butternut squash ravioli cooks in about the same time it takes to make the sauce (about 3 minutes).

Time To Serve The Raviolis

Remove the raviolis with a slotted spoon to let them drain. Place them directly into the browned butter/sage sauce (sorry, no picture of that… was too busy trying to get them all in the skillet and covered with sauce!)

Spoon the sauce over the hot ravioli, then gently spoon them up and onto serving plates. Spoon additional sauce and sage leaves over the ravioli. Grate some fresh Parmesan cheese on the top, and serve!

Sure hope you try making these butternut squash ravioli. They are absolutely delicious!

Hope you enjoy this Italian-inspired pasta dish. It really tastes wonderful! Have a great day!

Looking For More PASTA Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some wonderful pasta recipes you might enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Recipe Source: http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2011/09/butternut-squash-ravioli-with-sage.html

0 from 0 votes

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Butter Sage Sauce

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

3 mins

Total Time

48 mins

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Butter Sage Sauce, with nutmeg and Parmesan cheese, is a delicious meatless dish that looks and tastes great!

Category: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: butternut squash ravioli

Servings: 4 servings

Calories Per Serving: 817 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Squash Filling:

1 pound butternut squash
olive oil
salt & pepper (to season)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

For Browned Butter Sauce:

3/4 cube butter
10-12 sage leaves

For Pasta:

1 recipe homemade pasta dough OR 1 pkg won ton skins (*see notes)

My pasta dough was made from:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup warm water
2 Tablespoons olive oil

For Garnish:

Additional grated Parmesan cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Slice squash in half. Peel and de-seed. Cut the squash into cubes, place in bowl, and coat them fairly well with olive oil. Sprinkle the squash with salt and pepper. Place the squash cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes at 425 degrees. The squash should be tender when done. Remove squash from oven; place into a medium bowl and mash the squash with a fork until well "mashed". Add the Parmesan cheese and nutmeg. Give it a taste. If necessary, add a bit more salt and pepper.
While the squash is baking, make the pasta, per manufacturer's instructions. Roll it out into long strips on a well-floured surface.
Place small spoonfuls of the squash filling in the middle of the long sheets of pasta dough, leaving space between each one. Gently pull the dough up and over the filling from front to back until the dough touches the other edge. Lightly press down the outer edges. Carefully cut each ravioli apart. Using a fork, carefully crimp the edges of the raviolis, to seal completely.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil, for the ravioli.
While the water is coming to a boil, make the butter sauce: In a medium skillet, melt the butter. Add the sage leaves. Cook this for for 3-4 minutes on medium-low, only until the butter begins to brown. Once the butter turns light brown, remove pan from the heat.
Cook the ravioli in boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes. They will float to the top of the water when they are done cooking. Remove the raviolis from the hot water using a slotted spoon; place them into the browned butter sauce. Carefully spoon some of the sauce onto the raviolis, to cover.
Place raviolis onto individual serving plates. Drizzle with the browned butter sauce and the sage leaves. Finely grate Parmesan cheese on top; Serve... and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

If using won ton wrappers, place prepared squash/Parmesan mixture into center of won ton wrapper. Brush all the edges of the won ton with water, then press edges together to completely seal around filling. Follow rest of directions.

Nutrition Facts

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Butter Sage Sauce

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 817 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 14mg5%

Sodium 754mg33%

Potassium 591mg17%

Carbohydrates 150g50%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 24g48%

Vitamin A 12135IU243%

Vitamin C 23.8mg29%

Calcium 199mg20%

Iron 9.1mg51%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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