Spinasse Ragu Recipes

Steps:

• Spray 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
• In 5-quart Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-high heat 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp. With slotted spoon, remove bacon to small bowl.
• Season pork with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Add half of the pork to bacon drippings in Dutch oven, and cook 4 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned. With slotted spoon, remove pork from Dutch oven to slow cooker. Repeat with remaining pork.
• Add onions, carrots, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to Dutch oven; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Stir in garlic and oregano; cook 30 seconds. Add broth; heat to simmering, stirring to remove brown bits on bottom. Transfer mixture to slow cooker with pork. Stir in tomatoes and bacon.
• Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 10 hours or until pork is tender and easily falls apart. Before serving, shred pork with two forks. Serve over cooked pasta. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh herbs.

Steps:

• Make the ragu: Soak the porcini mushrooms in 1 cup hot water until soft, about 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. Chop; reserve the liquid.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2 more minutes. Add the portobello and shiitake mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are soft, 5 more minutes.
• Add the porcini mushrooms; cook 2 minutes. Add the reserved porcini liquid, bring to a boil and cook until reduced slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice, 2 cups water and the bay leaves; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the parsley and 1 teaspoon salt and simmer, stirring a few times, until thick, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. (You can make the ragu up to 1 day ahead; let cool, then cover and chill. Reheat before using.)
• Make the lasagna filling: Mix the parmesan, mozzarella and asiago; set 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture aside. Combine the remaining cheese mixture in a large bowl with the ricotta, eggs, spinach, nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook as the label directs. Drain and rinse under cold water; shake off the excess water.
• Spread 1 cup of the ragu in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of noodles, then half of the spinach mixture and 2 cups ragu. Repeat with another layer of noodles, spinach mixture and ragu. Top with the remaining noodles and ragu and sprinkle with the reserved cheese. Cover with foil, place on a baking sheet and bake 50 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, about 25 more minutes. Let rest before serving.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over high heat. Cook the mushrooms, undisturbed, until browned underneath, 3 to 4 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, until browned on both sides and tender, 4 to 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a medium heatproof bowl.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, onion, garlic and serrano and cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and softened, about 6 minutes. Add the spinach and 1/4 cup water, cover and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Return the mushrooms to pot.
• Meanwhile, boil the pasta, stirring occasionally, until just under al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directs.
• Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and drain the pasta. Transfer the pasta and reserved cooking liquid to the pot with the spinach and mushrooms and add the crema. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer over medium heat, tossing the pasta constantly, until the pasta has fully cooked through and has absorbed some of the liquid, about 3 minutes. The sauce should be thick and creamy and will continue to thicken as it sits.
• Remove the pot from the heat. Add the 1 cup basil, 1/2 cup Parmesan and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.
• Divide the pasta among bowls and top with more Parmesan and basil leaves.