Fresh Pasta Rounds With Spinach-ricotta Mousse

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Fresh Pasta Rounds With Spinach-ricotta Mousse

Almost everybody loves pasta and eats it regularly. Certainly, pasta dishes — from tagliatelle ribbons in cream sauce to plump little agnolotti filled with pureed squash or sweet corn to the fluffy potato-and-ricotta dumplings called gnocchi — remain perennial favorites among our guests at Spago and my other restaurants.

But, when I talk to my friends about what they cook at home, it seems that many people are in a pasta rut.

Repeatedly, they wind up making spaghetti or fettuccine with tomato sauce or Bolognese or cheese sauce. And they begin to get a little bored with that popular dish they swear they love.

So, let me shake up your home pasta routine with this recipe while also adding a generous portion of the green vegetables we all should be eating — along with a pleasing and calcium-packed share of fluffy ricotta, creamy mascarpone and gooey mozzarella cheeses.

I think many people shy away from filled and baked pasta recipes because, as the familiar words you see on the boxes of complicated children’s toys, there is “some assembly required.” But this dish is a lot easier to put together than a child’s plaything — and you can do some of the work in advance.

The recipe starts with sheets of freshly made pasta, for which I include an easy recipe. But you also can find ready-to-use fresh pasta sheets in some Italian delis. (Ask for pasta sheets if you don’t see them; they may be available but just not on display.)

If you like, you can mix the

filling, fill and cut the pasta rounds and put them into the individual-serving tart pans up to several hours in advance; just cover each pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate until baking time.

For the filling, bags of prewashed baby spinach leaves make preparation extra easy. To embellish the vegetable mixture, add some sauteed mushrooms, for example, or slivers of sun-dried tomato. It’s OK to use reduced-fat ricotta and mozzarella, too.

The tomato-garlic-basil sauce that accompanies the pasta rounds can be prepared ahead of time, too, awaiting gentle reheating and stirring in of the fresh basil strips shortly before serving time.

But here’s another convenient tip: If you don’t want to go to the effort of making that part of the recipe, heat up your own favorite, good-quality bottled brand of tomato-based pasta sauce instead.

It can be that easy. My recipe for Fresh Pasta Rounds with Spinach-Ricotta Mousse will make any pasta lover look at the old favorite with fresh new interest.

FRESH PASTA ROUNDS WITH SPINACH-RICOTTA MOUSSE

Makes 8 servings.

1 pound ricotta

8 ounces mascarpone

1/2 pound organic baby spinach leaves, divided use

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use

1/4 cup pine nuts

3/4 pound shredded mozzarella

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 ounces freshly grated parmesan

Fresh pasta dough (recipe follows)

All-purpose flour, for dusting

Tomato-garlic basil sauce (recipe follows)

To make pureed cheese mixture: Put ricotta, mascarpone and half of spinach in food processor. Pulse on and off until pureed. Transfer to mixing bowl.

To saute spinach: In skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add remaining spinach. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until wilted. Chop coarsely. Set aside.

To toast nuts: In small skillet over medium heat, toast pine nuts for 2 minutes or until light golden. Transfer to bowl to cool.

To make filling: Fold mozzarella, egg, salt, pepper, nuts, sauteed spinach and half of parmesan into pureed cheese mixture. Set aside.

To assemble: Cut dough into 4 equal pieces. On lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 piece to 20-by-4-inch rectangle. Trim as needed. Spread one-fourth of filling over lower two-thirds of rectangle’s length. Starting at filled edge, roll up lengthwise, forming 20-by-1-inch cylinder. Cut crosswise into 20 equal pieces. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

To prepare oven, pans: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Brush insides of 8 individual 4-inch tart pans.

To bake pasta: Inside each tart pan, arrange 10 pasta slices, cut side up. (Note: It will be tight.) Sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Using potholder, invert each pan onto tray. Lift off pan to unmold pasta. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

To serve: Spoon some sauce onto 8 warmed plates. Using wide spatula, transfer pasta to plates. Pass remaining sauce on side.

BASIC PASTA DOUGH

Makes about 11/2 pounds.

3 cups all-purpose flour

8 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 to 3 tablespoons water

All-purpose flour, for dusting

In food processor, combine flour, yolks, salt, oil and 2 tablespoons water. Process until dough begins to hold together. Stop machine. Pinch dough. If it feels too dry, pulse in up to 1 more tablespoon water to form moist ball. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead by hand into smooth ball. Loosely wrap in plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes before preparing as directed.

TOMATO-GARLIC-BASIL SAUCE

Makes about 21/2 cups.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 pounds Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 cup good-quality canned chicken broth, heated

6 to 8 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes or until wilted. Add garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste. Stir in tomatoes. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in broth. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes or until thick. Stir in basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover. Keep warm.

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