Ricotta Spinach Stuffed Peppers Recipes

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes; season with salt. (You should have about 4 heaping cups of sauce.)
• Make the stuffed shells: Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook as the label directs for baking, about 9 minutes. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Spread out on a baking sheet.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a large plate lined with a kitchen towel. Squeeze to remove any excess liquid, then finely chop.
• Put the spinach in a large bowl and add the ricotta, mozzarella, parsley, Parmesan, lemon zest, beaten egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir until combined.
• To assemble, spread about half of the sauce in the bottom of a 10-by-14-inch baking dish. Evenly fill the shells with the spinach-ricotta mixture using a spoon, or pipe it in using a pastry bag. Arrange the shells side by side, open-side up, in the baking dish on top of the sauce, then top with the remaining sauce.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake until heated through and the sauce is simmering around the edges, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until any shells or cheese poking through the sauce are lightly browned in spots, about 10 more minutes. Let sit 10 minutes. Top with more Parmesan and red pepper flakes.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 425.
• 2. In a small skillet, add the spinach with 1/4 cup water and cover. Cook on medium-high heat until spinach has wilted. Drain well and squeeze to remove any excess water. Set aside.
• 3. While the spinach is wilting, slice peppers into quarters, discarding seeds and carefully removing any membrane with a sharp knife. Place cut side up on baking sheet.
• 4. Combine the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses in a medium sized bowl. Add the onion, garlic and spinach. Combine well. If you opted for the bacon, add it to the cheese mixture and combine.
• 5. Stuff peppers with cheese mixture and bake for approximately 25 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, and pepper together in a bowl.
• Grind basil, oil, and garlic together into a chunky paste using a mortar and pestle. Add pine nuts to the pesto; grind to the size of small peddles.
• Slice zucchini lengthwise into strips using a mandoline.
• Arrange 2 zucchini strips in the shape of a cross. Spoon some of the ricotta cheese mixture in the middle of the cross. Top with a dollop of pesto. Fold ends into the center to create a parcel, starting from the bottom end and moving clockwise. Secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining zucchini strips, ricotta cheese mixture, and pesto.
• Spread some of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Arrange zucchini parcels on top, spacing them 1/2 inch apart. Spoon a bit of pasta sauce on top of each parcel. Sprinkle Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until sauce and zucchini begin to brown, about 20 minutes.