Leftover ricotta-mozz-parm-spinach filling

16 years ago

A few weeks ago, my DH and DS went to Philly for a baseball game, and they had dinner afterward at an Italian restaurant. DH has been raving about their Melanzane alla Rolantina (breaded eggplant rollups filled with ricotta and spinach, topped with tomato sauce), so I thought I'd try to reconstruct it. I googled some descriptions and recipes, and it's in the oven now. It looks fabulous, if I do say so myself! ;-)

I used one large eggplant, thinly sliced lengthwise. But I now have about 2 cups of leftover filling (ricotta, egg, mozzarella, parmesan cheese, and spinach). With the raw egg in it, I'm sure it won't keep very long in the fridge. I don't have any large pasta that could be filled, and there's no more eggplant either. Any ideas for a different dish (maybe using small pasta, like farfalle or penne, or anything else) to use up the leftover filling? Or can it be frozen?

Thanks, Sue

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (16)

shellm
16 years ago
How about a baked ziti?Dont know why it couldnt be frozen,but certainly no expert here.

Shelley
lindac
16 years ago
Layer it with slices of zucchini...or lasagna...or pile it into a casserole with some sort of pasta, add some marinara sauce and bake it...
But do it quickly or it will not be good.
Linda C
Related Discussions
Lasagna - do you prefer cottage cheese or ricotta?
Q
Comments (49)
Yes, the whey is clear and a bit yellow. When you heat it you start to see bits of milk protein forming in the whey, that's the stuff that becomes ricotta. Mike, I salt when I pull the cheese and I make it when I want it, I don't try to store it. It gets a texture I don't care for when I try to store it in brine. I heat it on the stovetop, although I've been known to reheat in the microwave when it gets too cold to pull well. I'm still just starting on this, I took a cheesemaking class a few months ago. I use my old Harvest Maid dehydrator to make yogurt, but I don't have very much whey when I make yogurt, so I wouldn't get much ricotta, I don't think. Then again, I've never tried it so maybe I would... Annie
...See More
I have spinach, ricotta, mozz...no lasagne noodles
Q
Comments (10)
Here is Loris recipe it's so good! The crepes only take a few minutes to make. If you don't want to do that...but I'm telling you they're good! Just cook Penne or any other heartier pasta and layer the pasta, the filling in Lori's recipe and tomato sauce. Maybe grate some Parm or Moz for the top. PS: You need that spinach to night Popeye!!!!! Go get 'em! Canneloni Stuffed With Spinach And Ricotta My notes: Lori's recipe. Originally called for 2 pounds fresh spinach, cooked and drained. I have served with the cream sauce or a tomato sauce. Proscuitto is a nice addition Crepes 6 eggs 1 1/2 Cup flour 1/4 Tsp salt 1 1/2 Cup water Filling 1 Package frozen spinach thawed and 1 1/2 Cup ricotta 3/4 Cup parmesan 2 egg yolks Pinch nutmeg salt and pepper 1 TBSP butter Unsalted 1 Cup heavy cream Combine first 4 ingredients in bowl with electric mixer. Ler stand at least 1/2 hour ( I don't always). Cook individual crepes over med heat. Combine spinach , ricotta, egg yolks. 1/4 cup parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Blend well with a fork. Prehaet oven to 350. Grease a casserole dish with the butter. Spread mixture onto to crepes and roll up. Lay seam side down in the dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup parmesan. and por the cream over top. Bake until they turn golden,about 20 minutes.
...See More
Sausage & Spinach & Ricotta Bread?
Q
Comments (9)
My Mom used to make something similar. I do not have measurements as she never measured anything, but this is what she did: Brown and crumble (leaving fairly large crumbles) good quality sweet or hot Italian sausage and let cool. Saute spinach in a little olive oil and garlic; set aside to cool. Mix ricotta with egg, parsley, grated parm/romano mix, shredded mozzarella or provolone and salt pepper to taste. Fold sausage and spinach into ricotta mixture. Stuff mixture into either homemade or prepared frozen Italian bread dough, seal and bake. Other versions of this that she made were: Spinach and cheese: spinach, onion, garlic and shredded mozz/parm/romano Spinach/lemon: as above without the cheese, but with lemon juice. Cauliflower; soft cooked cauliflower with garlic, onion, tomato, parsley and Italian black olives or Kalamata. This was one of my favorites. The tomato was just enough to flavor it, but not make it "saucy" Fresh tomato, onion, cheese: lots of caramelized onion, fresh tomato, garlic, LOTS of fresh basil cooked down to a very, very thick sauce. (she also used this as a topping for grilled or pan fried swordfish or tuna steaks - Yum!) Mix in mozzarella or provolone before stuffing bread. Broccoli cheese: soft cooked broccoli, onion, garlic and mozz/provo/parm. She would sometimes add the broccoli to the above ricotta/sausage mix, which was also a good combination. For Easter, she always made one with lamb: Cut up leg of lamb into fairly small dice. Saute with onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Add chopped tomato; just enough to flavor, you don't want it saucy. Add thawed frozen peas and chopped fresh parsley. Mix all together and stuff in to bread. I grew up eating all of these. Mom usually made her own bread dough, but would use Rhodes Italian when she didn't have a lot of time. She has Alzheimers/Dementia now and can no longer cook. I sure do miss her cooking. Somehow, even though I make things with the same ingredients, they never taste the same. When I was first married, I had her over to direct my making of tomato sauce with meatballs. She instructed me on exactly what to put in and how much, but it still didn't taste quite like hers; very close, but not the same.
...See More
Wanting to Add Spinach to Lasagna
Q
Comments (30)
What is it about lasagna that is so good? Nothing quite like it even though other casserole type recipes have similar ingredients. I miss it. For years I have made a harvest lasagna in the early fall using garden excess produce. Just off my game this year with so much going on. Spinach is one crop that does not do well in my climate. Along with cilantro, bok choy. Some salads. I've tried many varieties. A fall crop did well for a while but critters wiped most of it out. Collards, kales did ok but came to a halt at about 6 inches. Chard and beet greens are never a problem. arcy, seems some just add a spinach layer to their basic lasagna recipe and some add lots of veg layers in place of a noodle layer or two. My spinach layer is separate from my wild mushroom ragu layer. Lots of veg on the bottom. Some mix the spinach in ricotta, food processor, some just layer it fresh. (I don't mix, just chop, wilt, then layer). Children might like it hidden. 😜 Frozen spinach quality is all over the place depending on brand. One I purchased at my parents local grocery was awful. A block of ice and tasted/looked like chopped up broccoli stems. A brand I buy in Canada is in compact square cubes twice the volume of standard ice cube trays. Very tender. An organic bag I buy here in NY is also very good. Always have a big bag or two in the freezer. (not this year)Their petit peas are also excellent. Not serving a crowd this holiday season, or a giant lasagna, but I have a 4lb bag of organic baby spinach in my cart from the wholesaler that I'll need to quickly blanch, ice, then freeze portions. I'll just make small individual lasagnas at least once. Like Lars we prefer fresh spinach in an omelette. Frittata, lasagna, we are fine with the convenience of quality frozen. Unless I have access to fresh. 4 pounds is a lot but the price is right and we will use it all winter. The big Costco bags are 2.5 pounds.
...See More
mtnester
Original Author
16 years ago
I should have mentioned that I won't be able to get to the supermarket till Sunday, so I've got to use what's in my pantry or fridge. I don't have zucchini or lasagna noodles right now. I think the baked pasta will work, though. I'll whip something up tonight and then serve it for dinner tomorrow.

Thanks for the ideas! My brain is about fried from the heat in my kitchen.

Sue
User
16 years ago
I think that would make a "to die for" ravioli filling.

I make mine using won ton wrappers but it's unlikely you have them in your pantry!

I'm sure you have eggs, flour, water and olive oil....Make homemade pasta sheets, it isn't hard, it's easy. Roll it fairly thin, cut in squares, fill with the ricotta mixture and be a hero!

They freeze really well. Just lay them on a cookie sheet, freeze and then store in plastic containers.
katefisher
16 years ago
Oh lord Sue those ingredients sound heavenly! I was going to say it sounded a lot like what I put inside my Spanikopitas. But for that you need puff pastry.

Another option could have been calzones and you could make any kind of simple pizza crust for that or even a pre made pie crust or packaged biscuits if you had it.

All sounds good though. I'm sure however you used that it was great.

Kate
sooz
16 years ago
If you don't want to or can't use it for ravioli filling...here's another idea.

Use it as "gnudi" which translates as "nude" in Italian, so my cuz says. It would be perfect with a nice sauce (or gravy, if you prefer) on it. Gnudi is the "inside" of the ravioli, served ...umm...nude, i.e. without the ravioli pasta covering it, but served with a sauce of some kind.

Well, that's the way I understand it anyway. All in all, it sounds GOOD!!!!

Sooz
seagrass_gw Cape Cod
16 years ago
I have a recipe for stuffed chicken breasts that uses a stuffing similar to that (minus the egg, I think). The original recipe called for skin-on boneless breasts and putting the stuffing under the skin but you could do the same with bone in breasts. What I ended up doing was pounding boneless breasts thin, then putting the filling on one side, folding the other side over that and closing with a toothpick. Brush with some melted butter, sprinkle with breadcrumbs. salt/pepper & whatever - bake at 350 until done.

seagrass
lyndaluu2
16 years ago
Use it for raviolis or make a lasagna....

Linda
donna_loomis
16 years ago
You can definitely freeze it to use later. Just last night, DH fixed a dinner with much the same mixture. He usually makes noodle rolls with spinach, ricotta, mushrooms, etc. Had some mixture left over last time and froze it. Used it last night to make EGG ROLLS with. Yummy.
Lars
16 years ago
Like Sharon, I would make my own pasta, but I don't use olive oil in mine - just eggs, flour, and salt. I use about 3/4 cup of flour per egg, depending on the size of the egg. If you have semolina flour, it's good to use some of that for part of the flour.

Ravioli are time consuming to make (although I love them and make them anyway), but lasagne noodles are extremely easy to make, and you only need a rolling pin.

Lars
mtnester
Original Author
16 years ago
Just wanted to thank everyone for your great ideas. I liked the idea of calzone but don't have any yeast or pizza dough. Then I considered making ravioli or lasagna noodles, but I didn't have any time to "play with my food" today--maybe next time. Glad to know it can be frozen or used "nude," too. DH would like that! :)

For tonight, I think I'm going to have to go with the quickest option: baking it with pasta and sauce.

Thanks again, everybody, for all your suggestions!

p.s. The eggplant rolantini was a hit! I'll definitely be making it again.

Sue
Angela Wilson
9 years ago
I have leftover ricotta and spinach as well from the manicotti that I made. I am going to stuff mushrooms with it. I will brush the mushrooms with butter or olive oil first though.
ci_lantro
9 years ago
Or you can put dollops of it on pizza.
mamiller1056
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Or put dollops on crisped Italian bread slices to make bruschetta. Put on top thinly sliced tomato or sprinkle diced tomato, run under the broiler, done, and yum.
Angela Wilson
9 years ago
Great ideas!
Louiseab
9 years ago
I love the idea of putting it under the skin of chicken pieces. I have been using this recipe for years and it's really, really good.

Leftover ricotta-mozz-parm-spinach filling

Comments (16)

shellm

lindac

Related Discussions

mtnester
Original Author

User

katefisher

sooz

seagrass_gw Cape Cod

lyndaluu2

donna_loomis

Lars

mtnester
Original Author

Angela Wilson

ci_lantro

mamiller1056

Angela Wilson

Louiseab

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Leftover ricotta-mozz-parm-spinach filling

Comments (16)

Related Discussions

mtnesterOriginal Author

mtnesterOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

mtnester
Original Author

mtnester
Original Author