Bite Of Minnesota: Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Portobellos
I'm pretty sure I'm recovering from a magazine subscription addiction. Most of my subscriptions were to food or lifestyle magazines and it was a comforting feeling to know that new information is coming to my mailbox once a month. I enjoyed flipping through the pages and tearing out my favorite recipes and gift ideas for the loved ones in my life but after finding so many amazing recipes through the years, it's time to reorganize all of my clippings into easy-to-find binders and pare down the subscriptions.
Going through all of these magazine clippings has brought back a lot of good food memories. A long-forgotten recipe or two will suddenly spark a cooking session in the kitchen and I get jazzed all over again about a favorite dish. These spinach and ricotta stuffed portobellos from Eating Well is certainly one of those favorite dishes from the past. The flavors are reminiscent of lasagna with marinara, spinach, and ricotta but with portobello mushrooms instead of pasta, offering a slightly more beautiful presentation. Plus, at only 200 calories each, you can easily squeeze in dessert.
Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Portobellos
From Eating Well, March/April 2009
Ingredients
• 4 large portobello mushroom caps
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped kalamata olives
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 3/4 cup prepared marinara sauce
Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
Place mushroom caps, gill-side up, on the prepared pan. Sprinkle with salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Roast until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, mash ricotta, spinach, 1/4 cup Parmesan, olives, Italian seasoning and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Place marinara sauce in a small bowl, cover and microwave on High until hot, 30 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes.
When the mushrooms are tender, carefully pour out any liquid accumulated in the caps. Return the caps to the pan gill-side up. Spread 1 tablespoon marinara into each cap; cover the remaining sauce to keep warm. Mound a generous 1/3 cup ricotta filling into each cap and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake until hot, about 10 minutes. Serve with the remaining marinara sauce.
