Beet Ricotta Gnocchi

I am not a fan of beets! My family will attest to that. However, when they come in my CSA box, I have to eat them. In order to do that I find or create recipes that allow me to incorporate them into my diet. I adapted this recipe from a recent Food and Wine recipe, and it was heavenly! I love to top this with Brown Butter and Sage leaves, but any pasta sauce will do.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a baking dish with a lid, place beets and drizzle olive oil to coat.
Salt and pepper the beats.
Add 1/4 C filtered water to the baking dish, cover and bake for 1 hour, until the beets are tender.
Uncover dish and let beets cool completely.
Peel skin of beets and cut into 1-inch pieces, transfer to a food processor or blender to puree.
In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, combine 1 1/2 C of beet puree (reserve any remaining for another recipe), ricotta, egg, nutmeg, 3/4 C Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, and 1 T of salt.
Mix until ingredients are combined, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Sprinkle flour at low speed until dough comes together. You may not need all of the flour.
Scrape dough onto floured work surface, knead the dough until smooth and slightly sticky.
Place into a bowl and cover with a damp towel.
Let stand at room temperature for 4-6 hours.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with flour.
Cut gnocchi dough into 10 pieces and roll each piece into 1/2 in. thick rope.
Cut ropes into 1/2 in thick pieces and transfer to prepared baking sheets.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Add 1/4 of the Gnocchi to the water and cook them until they rise to the surface.
Repeat this process until all the dough is finished.
Drain them and place them on a baking sheet that has been coated in olive oil.
To serve: Melt butter in a large skillet until the milk solids start to brown.
Toss in sage leaves and simmer until fragrant (med. low temperature).
Add Gnocchi to coat and serve with extra Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Sprouted Wheat Flour Egg Noodle

Sprouted pasta can be expensive, but these yummy egg noodles are quick and easy to prepare from sprouted wheat flour. They may be cooked immediately or dried for later use. Excellent as a base for pasta sauce or in chicken and noodles, or throw a few into other stock-based soups.

These noodles may be made in a bowl, stirring with a fork, or in a food processor with a plastic blade. I prefer to use the food processor as it is easier.
In the processor bowl, combine the eggs, salt, and 1/2 cup flour. Pulse a few times to mix. Add more flour, 2 Tablespoons at a time, pulsing after each addition, until the mixture holds together in a firm but moist dough.
Turn the dough out onto a surface sprinkled with more sprouted flour. Cut the dough in half.
Roll each half out, using more flour to prevent sticking, to about 1/8 inch thickness.
Cut into noodle strips with a pizza cutter. Other shapes may be made also, of course.
Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Cook in soup or boiling water immediately, OR, hang to dry and then store in an airtight container in the freezer until you are ready to cook them.
5 minutes in boiling liquid is sufficient to cook them thoroughly if the noodles are fresh.
If you decide to dry them, they need to boil for 12 minutes, approximately to cook.

Turkey Spinach and Feta (Soaked) Ravioli

Homemade pasta may seem like a lot of work, especially ravioli, but for me the benefit of knowing what is in the pasta and how it was prepared is enough for me to take the trouble. It is also a great way to get small children interested and involved in cooking.

To Make the Pasta:
Place flour in bowl, make a well and add the whey, eggs and oil into the well. Start by slowly mixing in the flour pulling in only as much as needed. You will want a stiff but pliable dough. It shouldn’t stick to the counter or our hands but should be easy to kneed and not break apart while kneading. Add more flour if necessary or water if needed. (I keep a spray bottle of water on hand and spritz the ball if needed. This places the water evenly on the dough and makes it easier to work in.) After the dough is the right consistency kneed a few time to “smooth” Let sit for 6-8 hours.
To make the Filling:
Brown meat, add spinach until wilted. Turn off heat and crumble feta into meat and mix.
Divide into 3rds and roll out pasta to 1/8 inch thick and 4 inches wide. Place 1 tsp filling in the center of one half (look at the picture for a visual) about 1/2 in from short end. place filing along side 1/2 inch apart. Place a egg wash on half the short ends and length of pasta then between the filling, fold over the non filling side and press the pasta around the filing getting out as much air as possible. If there are large air pockets it can blow a hole in the pasta while cooking making the filing come out.
You can either cook right away or freeze for later.
To freeze:
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place ravioli on sheet in a single layer and freeze. Once frozen place in a air tight container.
When ready to cook:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, remember there is no salt in the pasta so all the flavor will come from the water. How big the pot is and how much water will depend on how many you will be boiling. Place ravioli in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes if fresh about 7 if frozen. To check pull one out and tear off a little corner for al dente the center should be a little lighter than the outside, for fully cooked it should be the same color all the way through. If you need to make them in batches use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked ravioli to a strainer and place a pat of butter on them and toss to coat. Repeat as many times as needed.
Top with your choice of sauce or just a little butter and garlic.

Gluten-Free Pink Alfredo with Hearts

Our family loves eating this pink pasta for dinner every February the 14th. I love special dinners that don’t require more-than-usual prep. Everybody wins!

Preheat oven to 375º. Now cook pasta according to package. As pasta cooks, cut tops off beets and poke a couple holes through them with a fork. Place them top-down on a baking sheet or glass pan and bake smaller ones for about 25 minutes or larger ones for up to 1 hour. You will know they’re done when the peel easily slides off the beet using your fingers (be careful not to burn yourself!).
Carefully peel the beets and cut beets in cylinders. From the cylinders, use a butter knife to cut them into hearts. Set aside.
Once pasta is done cooking, drain and return to pot. Add butter, cream, and cheese & stir. Add heart-shaped beets to make the sauce pink, as well as the nutmeg & pepper. Stir gently. Sprinkle extra parmesan cheese on top of each serving if desired. Serve warm.

Sprouted Whole Wheat Pasta

My girls LOVE pasta and they love to help me make it. This simple recipe uses only flour and water to have great tasting healthy pasta. Double or triple the batch and store some in your freezer for later.

Pour your flour in a bowl and then slowly add your water. Start with 1/4 cup and mix that in well. Add water little by little until your dough just comes together. Kneed it a few time to make sure that all the flour is damp. Now spray the ball with a little water and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
Once it’s rested, time to kneed it. If you have a pasta maker now it the time to pull it out. Run it through the maker on the widest setting. If the dough goes through easily and does not break apart when going through it is wet enough. If not just take the spray bottle and spray the dough with a little water and run it through again. If you don’t have a pasta maker just kneed the dough with your hands for about 5 minutes to make sure it is wet enough. You should be able to kneed it without it breaking on you and it should have some stretch to it. If not, spray a little more water until it is the right consistency.
Now it’s time to get to rolling. If you have a pasta maker this is pretty easy, just keep passing the dough through the pasta maker making the rollers smaller as you go until it gets to your desired thickness. If you don’t have a pasta maker pull out your rolling pin and start rolling. I like to do it on a well floured flour sack towel. That way you don’t have to worry about it sticking to the table. Once rolled out cut into the desired pasta thickness. I suggest not going with spaghetti or anything really small as the noodles have a tendency to clump if too small.
Once the pasta is rolled out it is time for it to dry. Let it sit preferably on a cooling rack or something that will let air circulate around them. This will take about 20 minutes depending on how humid it is, but you can always let them sit longer, the dryer they are the better.If making lasagna you can just make your lasagna now, no need to cook first or wait for them to dry.
After they are dry put on a big pot of water to boil. You will want at least a gallon of water to help it from boiling over. Add a lot of salt to the water (at least 3 heavy pinches) and turn to high. You may also want to add some oil to the water. I find the oil helps keep the pasta from sticking together when it is all cooked. Now you need to have everything ready to go, from here things go pretty fast, and if they are not ready your pasta has a good chance of sticking and being over done. Have a colander in the sink ready to drain along with more oil or butter sitting by. Once the water boils put the pasta in, it shouldn’t take very long to cook. Most of the time by the time get all the pasta in the pot I then give it a good stir and then take it off the heat and strain. Once you strain it pour a good couple tablespoons (or more) of oil over the pasta and toss to coat to help prevent sticking.
There you have it. Now just serve it up with your favorite pasta sauce, or if you are like my girls, just eat it plain, and keep eating until there is no more.

Spaghetti Squash Punttanesca

An excellent alternative to pasta night. Cooked spaghetti squash served with a savory punttanesca tomato sauce.

Cut and de-seed spaghetti squash. Place in a large pot of salted water, cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool slightly.
While squash is cooking, add olive oil and anchovy fillets. Saute’ until fillets break down, 2-3 minutes. Add capers and garlic and continue to saute’ for another 1-2 minutes. Add olives and red wine, cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add tomato sauce and bring it to a simmer, reduce heat on low. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Scrape out squash into serving bowl. Place sauce in another bowl. Serve squash with sauce on top. Top with grated Parmesan Cheese.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Gnocchi is a dense, dumpling-type pasta, typically made with only potatoes and flour. This version is a fall-flavored pasta with a hint of sugar cookie if you can imagine that!

Cut the squash in half, scrape out the seeds and roast at 400 degrees for 50 minutes. Let cool and puree in blender or food processor. Spread evenly on two half-sheet pans and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to mixing bowl, season to taste with salt and pepper, add almond extract if desired and mix in the flour with dough hook for 3 minutes. The dough should be very tender and smooth and slightly sticky. Divide into 12 pieces, using extra flour roll each portion of dough into a ½-inch thick snake. Using a dough scraper, cut the snake into ½-inch pieces. Continue rolling and cutting with each piece, as you work, arrange the gnocchi in a single layer on a silpat-lined baking sheet. Let dry for up to 2 hours. Freeze flat and transfer to a container or bag once frozen, keeps in freezer for 3 months.
To cook gnocchi, boil a large pot of water, add gnocchi (frozen is fine). Continue to cook until they float to the surface. in 2 or 3 batches in a large pot of boiling, salted water, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they float to the surface of the water. Toss in a simple sauce and top with parmesan cheese. I like a brown-butter crispy-sage sauce or a really thin white sauce made with real cream and a strong cheese.

Old-Fashioned Soaked Egg Noodles

I adapted this recipe from my great grandmother’s recipe that she used to make when I was a child. The noodles are great in soups and stroganoff.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, whey, water and egg yolks until a stiff dough forms. Add a little more flour if necessary. Knead in the bowl until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rest for 8-24 hours.
When ready to roll out, knead the salt into the dough. Separate the dough into three balls. Dust a pastry cloth with flour and roll out each ball to 1/8 inch thick. Use a pizza wheel to cut noodles into 1/2 inch strips. If you want, you may cut the other direction to cut the length of the noodles.
Allow noodles to dry out and rest for about 10-15 minutes.
To cook, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Carefully add the noodles to the water and stir gently to prevent sticking. Boil for 6-8 minutes until desired tenderness is reached.
Drain and use in whatever application you desire.