This dish was described by a friend as "The most ethereal taste of paradise I've ever put in my mouth". The filling, which has been in my family for generations, is full of flavor without being heavy, and and can be made with the sausage or without if you choose. The fresh pasta strips are tender and light. It takes a bit of time to bring it all together, but some of the parts can be made a day or two before assembly. You can use dry pasta, but I would recommend that you make your own, as fresh is so much lighter.
Cook the fresh (or frozen) spinach. When it is cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess liquid.
Place the ricotta cheese in a fine mesh strainer, and allow the excess liquid to drain away. Depending on the brand, it will have differing amounts of liquid. I find that the better quality (also more expensive) brands have less liquid. I like Calabro and Bellwether Farms for taste and texture, not a lot of excess liquid, and they are available in many grocery stores.
Pour about 2 teaspoons of olive oil into a sauté pan. When hot, add the chopped mushrooms, add a small sprinkle of salt and cook until they have reabsorbed their liquid. Scoop into a mixing bowl, add a bit more oil to the sauté pan, add the onions, sprinkle with a bit of salt and cook until they are translucent. Scoop the onions into the mixing bowl with the mushrooms.
If the sausage is in a casing, remove that, and break into small pieces. Using the same sauté pan, add a teaspoon or two of olive oil, and cook the sausage bits. Pour off any excess fat, and add the sausage to the mushrooms and onions.
Place all the ingredients - the mushrooms, onions, sausage, the drained cooked spinach, the drained ricotta, Parmesan cheese, garlic, eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and flour in your food processor and using the "pulse" button, process in a few bursts to completely combine the mixture into a smooth filling.
If you do not have a food processor, combine the onions, mushrooms, spinach and sausage and chop by hand, then stir into the remaining ingredients.
This filling can be made a day or two in advance. To store, place in an air tight container and place in the refrigerator.
You can make your own pasta, or buy fresh pasta. If you are not able to do either, you can use lasagna or any wide pasta that comes in at least 8 to 9 inch lengths.
Bring a large pot of water to boil, then add the six strips of pasta. If using fresh pasta, boil for 4 to 5 minutes, remove from the boiling water and place in a bowl of cold water. If you are using dry lasagna pasta, cook one minute less than the manufacturers instructions, and proceed in the same manner as you would with fresh pasta.
Make one full recipe of the Italian Style Besciamella sauce
Heat the 2 tablespoons of butter in the bottom of a sauce pan. Add the chopped shallots, and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and cook one more minute. Pour in the can of tomatoes, add the salt and simmer for 30 minutes.
Using either a blender or an immersion blender, blend the tomatoes to a chunky tomato sauce consistency. This may also be made several days in advance.
When cool enough to handle, dry each piece of pasta and spread with a layer of the spinach-ricotta filling. Filling should be spread at about 1/4" thick and you should leave a boarder of 1/2" at one end. Roll like a jelly roll, starting from the filling covered end, and tuck the filling free seam at the bottom.
If you are using individual gratin dishes, spread the bottom of each with 1/4 cup of the Besciamella sauce. If you are using one large gratin dish, spread the bottom with 3/4 of the besciamella sauce. Then place the 6 pasta roles on the top. See photo.
Add 1cup of the tomato sauce to the remaining besciamella, mix and taste. This may be enough, but for individual taste, you may like it to have a bit more tomato sauce. So add as much as you want, and any remainder can be placed in an air tight container and frozen up to 3 months. This sauce can be used in stews, soups or as part or all of a sauce for pasta.
Spoon the tomato besciamella over the top of each of each pasta roll. Then sprinkle with grated Parmesan and a bit of chopped flat leaf parsley.
Cover the gratin dish (dishes) with aluminum foil. place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. After the 25 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted the the sauce is bubbling.
Ingredients
Directions
Cook the fresh (or frozen) spinach. When it is cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess liquid.
Place the ricotta cheese in a fine mesh strainer, and allow the excess liquid to drain away. Depending on the brand, it will have differing amounts of liquid. I find that the better quality (also more expensive) brands have less liquid. I like Calabro and Bellwether Farms for taste and texture, not a lot of excess liquid, and they are available in many grocery stores.
Pour about 2 teaspoons of olive oil into a sauté pan. When hot, add the chopped mushrooms, add a small sprinkle of salt and cook until they have reabsorbed their liquid. Scoop into a mixing bowl, add a bit more oil to the sauté pan, add the onions, sprinkle with a bit of salt and cook until they are translucent. Scoop the onions into the mixing bowl with the mushrooms.
If the sausage is in a casing, remove that, and break into small pieces. Using the same sauté pan, add a teaspoon or two of olive oil, and cook the sausage bits. Pour off any excess fat, and add the sausage to the mushrooms and onions.
Place all the ingredients - the mushrooms, onions, sausage, the drained cooked spinach, the drained ricotta, Parmesan cheese, garlic, eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and flour in your food processor and using the "pulse" button, process in a few bursts to completely combine the mixture into a smooth filling.
If you do not have a food processor, combine the onions, mushrooms, spinach and sausage and chop by hand, then stir into the remaining ingredients.
This filling can be made a day or two in advance. To store, place in an air tight container and place in the refrigerator.
You can make your own pasta, or buy fresh pasta. If you are not able to do either, you can use lasagna or any wide pasta that comes in at least 8 to 9 inch lengths.
Bring a large pot of water to boil, then add the six strips of pasta. If using fresh pasta, boil for 4 to 5 minutes, remove from the boiling water and place in a bowl of cold water. If you are using dry lasagna pasta, cook one minute less than the manufacturers instructions, and proceed in the same manner as you would with fresh pasta.
Make one full recipe of the Italian Style Besciamella sauce
Heat the 2 tablespoons of butter in the bottom of a sauce pan. Add the chopped shallots, and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and cook one more minute. Pour in the can of tomatoes, add the salt and simmer for 30 minutes.
Using either a blender or an immersion blender, blend the tomatoes to a chunky tomato sauce consistency. This may also be made several days in advance.
When cool enough to handle, dry each piece of pasta and spread with a layer of the spinach-ricotta filling. Filling should be spread at about 1/4" thick and you should leave a boarder of 1/2" at one end. Roll like a jelly roll, starting from the filling covered end, and tuck the filling free seam at the bottom.
If you are using individual gratin dishes, spread the bottom of each with 1/4 cup of the Besciamella sauce. If you are using one large gratin dish, spread the bottom with 3/4 of the besciamella sauce. Then place the 6 pasta roles on the top. See photo.
Add 1cup of the tomato sauce to the remaining besciamella, mix and taste. This may be enough, but for individual taste, you may like it to have a bit more tomato sauce. So add as much as you want, and any remainder can be placed in an air tight container and frozen up to 3 months. This sauce can be used in stews, soups or as part or all of a sauce for pasta.
Spoon the tomato besciamella over the top of each of each pasta roll. Then sprinkle with grated Parmesan and a bit of chopped flat leaf parsley.
Cover the gratin dish (dishes) with aluminum foil. place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. After the 25 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted the the sauce is bubbling.