Creamy Spinach Ricotta and Mushroom Linguini

We are five days into February and so far it’s been a mixed bag of tricks with peaks and valleys.

Most of which had to do with that damn adorable fluffball, Junior.

Saturday, we had Wes’s sister, brother-in-law and nephews over for dinner to meet our kitty. I was fairly confident she was going to freak out and hiss at a child at least ten times in an evening.

Contrary to what I was expecting, Miss Hiss was perfectly pleasant and allowed lots of little petting and only managed to squeeke out one or two facial and verbal spasms.

Wes and I saw a light at the end of the tunnel to domestication. But my car broke down in the middle of that tunnel Monday morning when Junior freaked out on her trip to the vet to get spayed and bit my finger. Landing me in the doctors office this morning with a sweet infection.

Cooking with a swollen left index was a struggle, but I banged it out and it was damn tasty. This is a deconstructed version of the mushroom ravioli I served up a while back and it was just as tasty in a small portion of the time.

You will need…

¼ lb shitake mushrooms, stemmed removed and sliced

½ lb crimini mushrooms, stemmed removed and sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 slices pancetta, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 large shallot, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

4 cups spinach, plus extra if you would like some wilted spinach in your pasta

1 cup ricotta

1 lb dried linguini

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by boiling a large pot of water and cooking the pasta to the package instructions. Make sure to reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add in the pancetta and cook until you have rendered out some of the fat. About 5 minutes.

Toss in the mushrooms and shallots and cook until the shallots soften, about 8 minutes.

While the mushrooms and shallots are cooking, blend the ricotta and 4 cups of spinach in a blender or food processor.

When the shallots have softened, toss in the thyme and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minutes. If you want to add some fresh whole spinach in, now would be the time. Stir it in until slightly wilted. 

Season the mixture well with salt and pepper and stir in the cooked pasta and the ricotta and spinach mixture. Pour in the reserved pasta water while stirring until the pasta is coated. 

Serve hot with Parmesan and fresh ground pepper.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Creamy Spinach Ricotta and Mushroom Linguini 

¼ lb shitake mushrooms, stemmed removed and sliced

½ lb crimini mushrooms, stemmed removed and sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 slices pancetta, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 large shallot, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

4 cups spinach, plus extra if you would like some wilted spinach in your pasta

1 cup ricotta

1 lb dried linguini

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by boiling a large pot of water and cooking the pasta to the package instructions. Make sure to reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add in the pancetta and cook until you have rendered out some of the fat. About 5 minutes.

Toss in the mushrooms and shallots and cook until the shallots soften, about 8 minutes.

While the mushrooms and shallots are cooking, blend the ricotta and 4 cups of spinach in a blender or food processor. When the shallots have softened, toss in the thyme and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minutes. If you want to add some fresh whole spinach in, now would be the time. Stir it in until slightly wilted.

Season the mixture well with salt and pepper and stir in the cooked pasta and the ricotta and spinach mixture. Pour in the reserved pasta water while stirring until the pasta is coated. 

Serve hot with Parmesan and fresh ground pepper.

Spinach Pesto

Greetings from New York City!

After a crazy busy trade show in Vegas, I headed home for a whopping sixteen hours before hopping on a plane to the east coast.

Sixteen hours. Just enough time to wash the only pair of jeans I wear, catch up with my parents, kiss my boyfriend and get a good night sleep in my own bed.

To many, this intense schedule might seem a bit much. But for me, it is just confirming that leaving my old job and starting fresh was one thousand percent the right choice.

I feel like I’m starting to live the life I was always meant to live.

Sometimes you have to go out on a limb to get what you want.

So get wild in your life. And in the kitchen.

If you aren’t quite ready to get wild, maybe just mix it up a bit.

You will need…

3 cups spinach

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

¼ cup pine nuts

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by toasting your pine nuts in a small pan over medium heat just until they are lightly browned. About 5 minutes.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, pine nuts, spinach and cheese.

Blend until completely combined.

Slowly add in the olive oil until it is a fine paste.

Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Spinach Pesto

3 cups spinach

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

¼ cup pine nuts

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by toasting your pine nuts in a small pan over medium heat just until they are lightly browned. About 5 minutes.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, pine nuts, spinach and cheese.

Blend until completely combined.

Slowly add in the olive oil until it is a fine paste.

Season with salt and pepper and serve. 

Mushroom and Pancetta Ravioli

Remarkably, I survived my first day back to work after the long holiday.

And just like I said yesterday, the last day before your vacation ends is way worse than actually going back.

Yesterday, I went to purchase my first ever pair of tires.

Let me just say, there are at least two pairs of amazing shoes I would much rather have purchased.

But I sucked it up and did the adult thing and bought the tires my little Prius desperately needed.

I was feeling very adult and pleased with myself.

Until I drove less than twenty miles to the mall to exchange some Christmas gifts, and came back to my car to discover the gift of one of my brand spanking new tires completely deflated.

I was rim riding.

So if you were at South Coast Plaza last night around seven in the evening and were blocked by a large tow truck helping some desperate girl, that was me.

Sorry about that.

But I can make it up to you. Because these are wonderful.

Wes bought me a few ravioli cutters for Christmas and I’m going to strongly recommend you go get yourself some if you plan on ever making ravioli. It will change your life.

They make sure your filling is well sealed into the pasta and it cuts them into beautiful shapes.

You can purchase some for yourself (very affordably I might add) HERE.

You will need…

¼ lb shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

½ lb crimini mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 slices pancetta, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large shallot, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

2 cups spinach

¾ cup ricotta cheese

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 batch homemade pasta dough

1 cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

Flour for dusting

Start by heating the oil in a large pan over medium high heat.

When the oil is hot, add in the pancetta and cook just until the pancetta is starting to crisp and some of the fat has been rendered.

Add the shallots and garlic and cook just until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Then add in the thyme and the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are soft. About 5 to 7 minutes.

Add in the spinach and cook just until the spinach has wilted and cooked down. About 2 minutes.

Remove the mushroom mixture form the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Then in a bowl or food processor, blend together the ricotta, Parmesan and mushroom mixture and season it with salt and pepper to taste.

After the mixture is completely combined, roll out your pasta dough into very thin sheets and lightly flour the sheets on whatever side you will make the top and bottom of the raviolis.

Place about 1 tablespoon of filling on to the sheets about 2 inches a part on half the pasta sheets.

Gently brush the sheet with the filling with water and place the top sheet over the fillings.

With your fingers, gently press the top pasta sheet down to form your raviolis.

Use a knife to cut your ravioli into the desired shape and then press to seal them with a fork. Or, use your handy dandy ravioli cutter.

Make sure that your ravioli are floured lightly so they don’t stick together.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your ravioli for three to five minutes. When they have popped to the top of the water they are done.

Toss with your favorite sauce and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Cooks Note: You can make these and save them for up to five days in the refrigerator or you can freeze them for up to two months.

These ravioli were served with the shitake mushroom cream sauce.

Mushroom and Pancetta Ravioli

¼ lb shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

½ lb crimini mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 slices pancetta, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large shallot, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

2 cups spinach

¾ cup ricotta cheese

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 batch homemade pasta dough

1 cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

Flour for dusting

Start by heating the oil in a large pan over medium high heat.

When the oil is hot, add in the pancetta and cook just until the pancetta is starting to crisp and some of the fat has been rendered.

Add the shallots and garlic and cook just until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Then add in the thyme and the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are soft. About 5 to 7 minutes.

Add in the spinach and cook just until the spinach has wilted and cooked down. About 2 minutes.

Remove the mushroom mixture form the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Then in a bowl or food processor, blend together the ricotta, Parmesan and mushroom mixture and season it with salt and pepper to taste.

After the mixture is completely combined, roll out your pasta dough into very thin sheets and lightly flour the sheets on whatever side you will make the top and bottom of the raviolis.

Place about 1 tablespoon of filling on to the sheets about 2 inches a part on half the pasta sheets.

Gently brush the sheet with the filling with water and place the top sheet over the fillings.

With your fingers, gently press the top pasta sheet down to form your raviolis.

Use a knife to cut your ravioli into the desired shape and then press to seal them with a fork. Or, use your handy dandy ravioli cutter.

Make sure that your ravioli are floured lightly so they don’t stick together.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your ravioli for three to five minutes. When they have popped to the top of the water they are done.

Toss with your favorite sauce and serve hot. 

Spinach and Apple Salad

A belated happy Thanksgiving to all the wannabe foodies!

I was blessed to have a beautiful, mellow, tasty holiday with my parents, my brother Albert and Wesley.

Mellow being my favorite part of the day.

This year my family decided that since it was a small, food loving group, instead of doing the traditional turkey feast, we would make a meal of all the things we never have time to cook. The highlights being the lobster ravioli in tomato cream sauce, duck and fig ragu and homemade pasta.

I was a little worried that since we wouldn’t be surrounded by all our friends and family this year that things wouldn’t feel very holidayish. But after six hours of fun in the kitchen with my boyfriend and my brother, I realized that I had so much to be thankful for whether I was with two or twenty of my nearest and dearest.

How lucky am I to have a job, and still have time to do what I really love. How blessed to have happy and healthy family and friends. How thankful to live in a beautiful place and have everything I need to get by.

It doesn’t matter how you celebrate your thankfulness, just that you are thankful.

This salad was like my Thanksgiving. Delicious and mellow. Nothing fancy. Just simple ingredients coming together to make something tasty. 

You will need…

6 cups baby spinach

2 green apples, chopped

¼ cup chopped walnuts

¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

½ cup red wine vinaigrette

In a large salad bowl, combine the spinach, apples, blue cheese and nuts.

Drizzle the salad with the vinaigrette.

Toss and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Spinach and Green Apple Salad

6 cups baby spinach

2 green apples, chopped

¼ cup chopped walnuts

¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

½ cup red wine vinaigrette

In a large salad bowl, combine the spinach, apples, blue cheese and nuts.

Drizzle the salad with the vinaigrette.

Toss and serve.

Tomato and Bell Pepper Squares

It’s the freaking weekend folks!

Mom and dad are out of town which leaves me and Albert holding down the fort. You know what they say, when the cats away the mouse will play.

In this case, the cats are away and the mice will be taking care of the actual cats.

We are in charge of making sure the cats are still alive when the parental units return.

Two weeks away from twenty-six, I really hope I’m up for this challenge.

While I’m worried about the lives of two adorable kitties, I will make something that is a complete no brainer.

And that is delicious.

Just like these.

You will need…

1 bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 small can tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup parmesan

Sat and pepper to taste

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 large handful basil, you can also sub spinach

Start by combining the tomato paste, garlic and parmesan together in a small bowl.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat your oven per the pasty sheet cooking instructions.

Then, lay out your pasty sheet on a baking sheet.

Spread the tomato paste mixture liberally over the pastry sheet.

Evenly distribute the peppers, tomatoes and basil or spinach all over the pastry sheet.

Slice the pastry sheet into even slices and pop the baking sheet in the oven and cook to the pastry sheets specifics. 

Remove from the oven, cool slightly and season with fresh pepper.

Serve warm.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Tomato and Bell Pepper Squares

1 bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 small can tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup parmesan

Sat and pepper to taste

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 large handful basil, you can also sub spinach

Start by combining the tomato paste, garlic and parmesan together in a small bowl.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat your oven per the pasty sheet cooking instructions.

Then, lay out your pasty sheet on a baking sheet.

Spread the tomato paste mixture liberally over the pastry sheet.

Evenly distribute the peppers, tomatoes and basil or spinach all over the pastry sheet.

Slice the pastry sheet into even slices and pop the baking sheet in the oven and cook to the pastry sheets specifics. 

Remove from the oven, cool slightly and season with fresh pepper.