Ricotta Gnocchi

A few months ago I came across this reel for Ricotta Gnocchi and I've been wanting to try them out ever since. Tonight I finally did and they were delicious!

I drained my ricotta for a few hours before making the dough and barely any liquid came out. My dough was pretty wet and difficult to work with initially. I added more flour, a little at a time, until it seemed right. Next time I will try this using homemade ricotta and see if that helps. Since the dough was hard to handle, I was not able to roll smooth looking "ropes". The end product didn't look nearly as nice as I would have liked, but they get covered in sauce anyway so it doesn't really matter. The important thing is how they taste and these did not disappoint!

The "sauce" I used for these was actually Butternut Squash Soup mixed with a little bit of pasta water. The combination was insanely good!

Ricotta Gnocchi

Recipe courtesy Meryl Feinstein

 

454 grams (16 ounces) best-quality full-fat ricotta, drained and/or blotted dry if needed
55 grams (2 ounces) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano
70 grams eggs (about 1 large egg plus 1 yolk), lightly beaten
3 grams (1 teaspoon) kosher salt
150 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour

 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, eggs and salt and mix thoroughly until smooth. Fold in the flour with a spatula until well combined. The mixture should hold together but still be a bit tacky. If needed, add another tablespoon of flour.

 

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for a few moments, with a light touch, until the mixture is homogeneous and there are no visible streaks of flour. You do not need to rest the dough before shaping.

 

Dust work surface and dough with flour. Cut dough into thick slices (roughly the width of two fingers) using a bench scraper or sharp knife.

 

Dust a piece of dough with flour and gently roll it back and forth to create a smooth exterior. Continue rolling dough outward into a thick rope, about ¾-inch diameter. If dough gets sticky, dust with more flour. Continue with remaining dough slices.

 

Cut each rope into bite-size pillows, roughly 1 inch in length.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with flour. Closely arrange gnocchi in a single layer on the prepared sheet without touching. (Finished gnocchi can sit at room temperature or uncovered in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.)

 

Fill a large pot roughly two-thirds full with water and bring to a boil. Season generously with salt.

 

Using a spider sieve or slotted spoon, carefully lower gnocchi into water and cook until they float to the surface, about a couple of minutes, plus an extra 30 seconds. Transfer gnocchi to a large skillet filled with sauce of choice.

 

Yield: 2-4 servings.

 

NOTES:

Tips for Perfect Ricotta Gnocchi:

If you have the time and a food thermometer, try making your own ricotta! It’s simple, and you’re in control of the cheese’s texture.

 

If using store-bought ricotta, make sure it’s a high-quality, full-fat variety.

 

The thicker (and drier) the ricotta, the easier it will be to work with. To remove excess moisture from store-bought ricotta, line a baking sheet with paper towels, spread the ricotta across the sheet, top with more paper towels, and blot dry. Repeat if needed. Alternatively, strain the ricotta in a cheesecloth-lined colander for several hours (overnight is even better!).

 

Keep flour to a minimum to ensure light and fluffy gnocchi.

 

For extra smooth ricotta, briefly whip in a food processor or blender. A quick blitz removes some of the grainy texture, resulting in creamier ricotta and smoother dough.

 

Butternut squash soup thinned out with pasta water for the sauce!

Butternut Squash Soup

I had a big butternut squash in my fridge that I needed to use and wasn't sure what to make with it. Usually I would cut it up and roast it in the oven and serve with pork, but this squash was pretty big. I also had some ricotta in my fridge and wanted to try a ricotta gnocchi recipe, so I decided I would make that with the butternut squash. At first I thought I would roast the squash to serve with the gnocchi but I knew that would not use up much of it. Then I thought of making this butternut squash soup and using it as a "sauce" on the gnocchi, serving the rest as soup or freezing it.

The soup was rather thick since my butternut squash yielded about 10 cups of cup up squash, so I used a little bit of pasta water to thin out the portion of the soup that I was using as sauce for the gnocchi, which worked really well. My gnocchi sauce turned out delicious! I had some left over Dutch oven bread that I made last night, and dipping that in the soup was delicious as well!

My mom and my sister Maria make this soup recipe so I've had it before and knew it was good but this was my first time making it. It's very simple and straightforward. Since I'm lactose intolerant, I omit the butter, and I appreciate that this recipe doesn't use cream in it like some others. I used my immersion blender, which made the last step very easy. If you love butternut squash, give this recipe a try!

Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe Courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

 

2 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, minced

3½ pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 7 to 8 cups)

6 cups low-sodium chicken stock

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

In an 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and oil and melt together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls.

 

Note: The cooked vegetable mixture can also be pureed (after cooling for about 5 minutes) by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.

Some soup thinned out with pasta water and mixed with homemade gnocchi!

Maple Pecan Pie (Without Corn Syrup)

I recently came across this Pecan Pie recipe that uses pure maple syrup instead of corn syrup and really wanted to try it. I didn't end up making it for Thanksgiving so I made it today to take to my parents' house tonight. I used my go-to pie crust recipe, but I only made half a recipe since I only needed a bottom crust. I didn't measure the ice water like I usually do and used too much, so my dough was a little wet. I also forgot to poke holes in it.

I happened to have Crown Maple Syrup, which Costco sells around the holidays, so I used that for my pecan pie. I did not use cinnamon or nutmeg in my pie and I don't think the recipe needs them. Mixing the pie filling is super easy and only requires a whisk, but be careful not to over mix the filling, which can cause it to puff up and crack while baking.

I always find it hard to tell when pecan pie is finished. If you remove it from the oven too soon, it will be soupy in the middle, and if you bake it too long it will be too hard. Remove it from the oven when you insert a toothpick in the center and just a little bit of gooey filling is on the toothpick. I tried to tell if it was done just by how jiggly the pie filling was. I'm pretty sure mine took longer to bake than 40 minutes, but my son turned the oven timer off at some point while my pie was baking, so I have no idea how long it was actually in the oven, but it was definitely longer than the recipe calls for.

I read a review on this recipe that said to avoid a soggy crust, you can blind bake the crust (with pie weights) at 400° for 10-15 minutes, then pour in the mixed ingredients and finish baking the pie. You may need to bake 10 minutes longer than the recipe says.

This pie was pretty delicious! I served it with homemade whipped cream to my husband (it's his favorite kind of pie and he loved this recipe!), mom and siblings and they all enjoyed it too. If you're looking for a good pecan pie recipe and don't have or don't want to use corn syrup, give this one a try!

Maple Pecan Pie Recipe (Without Corn Syrup)

Recipe from Cucina by Elena

 

If you are looking for the BEST pecan pie without corn syrup, you’ve landed on the right recipe! This delicious pie has a beautifully rich maple syrup flavor and warm spices that enhance the pecan flavor. The buttery, flaky pie crust nestles it together, making it irresistible.  

 

Homemade 9” pie crust

2 cups (8 ounces) pecan halves

3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

¾ cup real maple syrup

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

 

 

Preheat the oven to 400°.

 

Prepare the pecans:

Spread the pecan halves evenly inside the unbaked pie crust. Place the crust in the fridge to chill while you prepare the filling.

 

Make the filling:

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until foamy.

 

Whisk in the melted butter until smooth.

 

Add the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and flour, whisking just until everything is well combined, but don’t over mix.

 

Stir in the maple syrup, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg (if using). Whisk just until smooth and fully combined, but don’t over mix.

 

Assemble the pie:

Take the chilled pie crust with pecans out from the fridge.

 

Carefully pour the filling mixture over the pecans, ensuring they are evenly coated.

 

Bake the pie:

Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes at 400°.

 

After 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350° and continue baking for 30-40 minutes, or until the filling is set and only slightly jiggles in the center.

 

Check halfway through and cover the pie with foil if it’s browning too quickly.

 

Cool and serve:

Once baked, remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. The filling will firm up as it cools.

 

If desired, sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top before serving for a balanced sweet and salty flavor. You can also serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream. 

 

NOTES:

Use real maple syrup: Pure maple syrup (not imitation) gives the pie a rich, natural sweetness. It’s the star of the show, so go for quality!

 

Chill the crust: After placing the pecans in the pie crust, chill the crust in the fridge while preparing the filling. This helps the butter firm up, creating a flakier, crisper crust when baked.

 

Don’t over mix the filling: When whisking the eggs and other ingredients, mix until just combined to avoid a tough filling texture. Over mixing can cause the filling to puff up too much and crack.

Apple Pie

I was asked to make an apple pie for Thanksgiving this year but I hadn't made one in at least 10 years. I used a Buttery Flaky Pie Crust recipe for the crust. My grandma Filomena always made delicious pies and this apple pie recipe of hers is no exception - it's simple, classic and always a hit!

Since I don't make pie often, I'm posting this recipe so I don't forget what I did the next time I go to make one. I used a mixture of apples - 1 each of Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady and Granny Smith. Since my pie dish is 10.5" and larger than the standard 9" dish, I made about 1.5 recipes of the pie filling below, which worked perfectly. I used 1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 9 cups of sliced apples, 2 tablespoons of butter and juice from 1/2 lemon. I always bake my pies on a baking sheet just in case anything spills out of them (some butter overflowed on the sides). My pie dish is ceramic, which heats slower than glass, so I added 5 minutes on to the baking time - the apples were crispy and perfect. Everyone loved the pie!

Apple Pie

           

For 9” pie plate.

 

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup flour

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

6 cups tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons butter

Lemon juice

 

Heat oven to 425˚.

 

Stir together sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Mix with apples. Turn into pastry-lined pie pan; dot with butter; sprinkle with lemon juice. Cover with top crust which has slits cut in it. Seal crust around the edges. Cover edge of pie with 2 or 3 inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning of edges. REMOVE FOIL LAST 15 MINUTES OF BAKING.

Bake for 30-45 minutes.

Homemade Buttery Flaky Pie Crust

This Buttery Flaky Pie Crust Recipe is super easy to make and delicious! So far I've used it for chicken pot pie, apple pie and pecan pie. This recipe makes is enough for a double crust but it can easily be cut in half to make just one crust (that's what I do when I make a pecan pie). You can also make the dough and refrigerate it in discs for up to 5 days before rolling it out, which helps around the holidays so you don't have to do everything in one day.

Making a pie always intimidates me because I'm not good at making the crust look nice, but this recipe is so simple and always tastes delicious - that's why it's my go-to pie crust recipe!

This link also has some more great tips!

Homemade Buttery Flaky Pie Crust

Recipe courtesy Sally’s Baking Addiction

 

This recipe is enough for a double crust pie. If you only need 1 crust for your pie, cut this recipe in half OR freeze the other half per the make ahead tip instruction below.

 

2½ cups all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled) plus more as needed for shaping and rolling

1 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

2/3 cup vegetable shortening, chilled

½ cup ice water

 

For best results, chill all ingredients before using. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl and chill them.

 

Add the chilled and cubed butter and shortening to the chilled flour and salt mixture.

 

Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits of fat is OK). A pastry cutter makes this step very easy and quick.

 

Measure ½ cup of water in a cup. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure ½ cup water since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water in, 1 Tablespoon at a time, and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon after every Tablespoon added. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I always use about ½ cup of water and a little more in dry winter months (up to ¾ cup). Do not add any more water than you need.

 

Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. Form it into a ball. Cut dough in half. Flatten each half into 1-inch thick discs using your hands.

 

Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.

 

When rolling out the chilled pie dough discs to use in your pie, always use gentle force with your rolling pin. Start from the center of the disc and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go. Visible specks of butter and fat in the dough are perfectly normal and expected!

 

Proceed with the pie per your recipe’s instructions.

 

NoteS:

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the pie dough through step 4 and freeze the discs for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using in your pie recipe.

Shortening:  I use between 2/3 and 3/4 cup of cold shortening in this dough. Lately, I find 2/3 cup (which is 10 Tbsp + 2 teaspoons) works best.

Salt: Use regular table salt. If using kosher salt, use 1¼ teaspoons.

Easy Homemade Biscuits

Biscuits are one of my most favorite foods in the whole world. I've been making drop biscuits for years, but this morning I finally tried out another biscuit recipe from my sister Maria that uses rolled out dough (rolled with your hands) and biscuit cutters. These two recipes are very similar but this one uses cold butter and the drop biscuits use melted butter. These were so good and easy to make!

Since I'm not a morning person, I mixed the dry ingredients the night before and set up my pastry board and everything I would need in the morning to make it even easier to get these in the oven quickly. I also cut the frozen butter with a box grater and then froze it in a plastic bag. All I had to do this morning was mix the butter in with the dry ingredients, add the milk, and cut the biscuits with my biscuit cutter. I made scrambled eggs while the biscuits were in the oven and my boys loved making themselves egg biscuits.

These biscuits were so good - the only thing I'll do differently next time is make a double recipe!

Easy Homemade Biscuits

Recipe courtesy “Sugar Spun Run” Blog

 

2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold (85g), unsalted European butter is ideal, but not required

¾ cup whole milk (177ml) buttermilk or 2% milk will also work

 

 

For best results, chill your butter in the freezer for 10-20 minutes before beginning this recipe. It's ideal that the butter is very cold for light, flaky, buttery biscuits.

 

Preheat oven to 425° and line a cookie sheet with nonstick parchment paper. Set aside.

 

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Set aside.

 

Remove your butter from the refrigerator and either cut it into your flour mixture using a pastry cutter or (preferred) use a box grater to shred the butter into small pieces and then add to the flour mixture and stir.

 

Cut the butter or combine the grated butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

 

Add milk, use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir until combined (don't over-work the dough).

 

Transfer your biscuit dough to a well-floured surface and use your hands to gently work the dough together. If the dough is too sticky, add flour until it is manageable.

 

Once the dough is cohesive, fold in half over itself and use your hands to gently flatten layers together. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and fold in half again, repeating this step 5-6 times but taking care to not overwork the dough.

 

Use your hands (do not use a rolling pin) to flatten the dough to 1" thick and lightly dust a 2¾" round biscuit cutter with flour.

 

Making close cuts, press the biscuit cutter straight down into the dough (do not twist it) and drop the biscuit onto your prepared baking sheet.

 

Repeat until you have gotten as many biscuits as possible and place less than ½" apart on baking sheet.

 

Once you have gotten as many biscuits as possible out of the dough, gently re-work the dough to get out another biscuit or two until you have at least 6 biscuits.

 

Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until tops are beginning to just turn lightly golden brown.

 

If desired, brush with melted salted butter immediately after removing from oven. Serve warm and enjoy.

 

Yield: 6 biscuits.

Easy Italian Sausage Soup Recipe (with Spinach)

I came across another delicious soup recipe that is very easy to make. I changed the recipe a bit by taking out the garlic, onions and red pepper. Since I left those out, I increased the amount of carrots and celery to about 1.5 cups of each. If you like more diced tomatoes, you could use a 28-ounce can of them. I added an entire bag of baby spinach and it would be good with that amount, half the bag, or even without it all together if you don't have any. I also cooked my pasta (I used Rotini) separately and added it into the individual bowls of pasta. That way it doesn't soak up all the broth and get soggy.

Even without the onion and garlic, this soup was full of flavor! Use the link above if you want to see the original recipe. The recipe below reflects the changes I made.

Easy Italian Sausage Soup Recipe (with Spinach)

Recipe Adapted from Cucina by Elena

 

Easy Italian Sausage Soup Recipe (with Spinach) brings together hearty Italian flavors and nourishing ingredients. It’s a simple, rustic dish perfect for a cozy evening!

 

1 pound Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed (or 1 pound ground Italian sausage)

4 medium carrots, peeled and diced

4 ribs celery, diced

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

64 ounces low-sodium chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes

1½ cups Ditali pasta or another small pasta, dry

1½ cups fresh spinach, chopped

Freshly grated Parmigiano cheese, for serving

Fresh basil, for garnish

 

 

Cook the sausage: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, crumble the Italian sausage and cook until browned and no longer pink. Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate and drain any excess fat from the pot, leaving two tablespoons to sauté the vegetables.

 

Sauté the vegetables: In the same pot, add the carrots and celery. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables are softened, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper, cooking for another minute.

 

Simmer the soup: Return the sausage to the pot. Add the chicken broth and diced tomatoes with their juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.

 

Stir in pasta and cook, stirring often, until pasta is cooked to desired doneness, about 10 minutes. Alternately, cook the pasta separately, drain and serve with the soup.

 

Stir the chopped spinach into the soup, cooking just until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. 

 

Garnish and serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with freshly grated Parmigiano cheese and a sprinkle of fresh basil. Serve hot. Enjoy.

 

Serves 6.