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Today I am participating in a "Virtual Potluck". It is exactly as the name describes...a group of food loving bloggers come together and offer/share comforting recipes for someone...and usually it's a surprise!

This fun potluck is for the beautiful Christy Jordan from Southern Plate who has just recently been in a horse-riding accident, leaving her with 2 broken legs! However that hasn't stopped her from continuing with her passion and love of cooking! She is still up and atom and cooking up a storm with the best positive energy and attitude! And also...quick shout out and thank you to Robin of Simply Southern Baking for organizing this awesome potluck!

I have just been recently following her site after hearing about it and her story from Robin Williams of Simply Southern Baking and am instantly in LOVE with all her "Southern cuisine"! I'm talkin' about apple pies and chicken fried steak..Oh man..you don't get that Southern comfort food here in Cali!

But I do know comfort food...and mine is Italian! There is nothing better than a pasta with red sauce and cheese. And then when you bake it all together and allow that soft ricotta to slowly melt..oh my...that is heaven right there!This is definitely my "go-to" dish for a large crowd or a week of leftovers..and it's perfect for freezing! Just wrap in plastic wrap and place in Tupperware and it's always ready to bake when you're ready. So for Christy's get-well potluck, I couldn't think of anything more comforting than zucchini and spinach lasagna!

What is your ultimate comfort food?

Print Recipe

5 from 11 votes

Spinach and Zucchini Lasagna

Easy and so comforting, spinach and zucchini lasagna is perfect for a crowd!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: spinach and zucchini lasagna, spinach lasagna, zucchini lasagna

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 568kcal

Author: Samantha Ferraro

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce

• ½ onion chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 teaspoon red pepper
• 1 Tb dried oregano
• 1 cup Red wine
• 32 oz can crushed tomatoes (I always use San Marzano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tb tomato paste
• Olive oil

Lasagna

• 15 oz fresh ricotta
• 1 egg
• ¼ c fresh oregano and basil chopped and mixed together
• 3 cups spinach cooked
• 2 lbs zucchini about 2-3, sliced thinly
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
• Olive oil
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 lb lasagna sheets cooked according to package directions

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• First make the sauce. (You can make this ahead of time and it's easy to freeze). In a large pot, saute onion in olive oil until translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic, dried oregano and red pepper and saute until garlic begins to caramelize.
• Add red wine and on medium heat, allow the wine to reduce until it gets a little thicker. Add tomato paste and stir in.
• Stir in the crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and allow to cook for about 20-30 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
• In a separate bowl, add the ricotta, egg, a few grates of fresh Parmigiana and herbs and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• In a separate skillet, cook the zucchini (you can grill or bake if you'd like) until tender. Set aside.
• Now it's time to layer your lasagna. In a large baking dish, first ladle about a cup of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Then add pasta sheets, then dollops of ricotta mixture evenly on top of the pasta, a handful of mozzorella cheese, then a few slices of zucchini and spinach. Repeat until all your layers are done.
• I like to finish my lasagna with tomato sauce on top and then mozzarella cheese and fresh herbs.
• Cover lasagna with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes so the cheese melts.
• When done, allow to cool for at least 20 minutes and top with fresh Parmigiano cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 568kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 703mg | Potassium: 992mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1887IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 264mg | Iron: 4mg

And check out what everyone else made for the Potluck too!

Banana Pudding from Veronica of My Catholic Kitchen

from Stacey of Southern Bite

Chicken Salad from Elizabeth of Food Ramblings

Easy Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Hash Browns from Kristin of Dizzy Busy and Hungry

Herbed Cream Pasta with Bacon from Brandy of Farmer’s Wife Rambles

Mint Chocolate Espresso Pudding from Wanda of My Sweet Zepol

Pepperoni Bread from Karen at In The Kitchen With KP

Potluck Party Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese from Raquel of Organized Island

Roasted Fig and Ricotta Crositini from Susan of The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

Sausage and Kale Casserole from Pam of Blueberries and Blessings

Spinach and Zucchini Lasagna from Samantha of The Little Ferraro Kitchen

Tomato and Boursin Tartlets from Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Heirloom tomato pomodoro is a quick and easy weeknight meal flavored with loads of garlic and tangy goat cheese for creaminess.

The word "pomodoro" means "tomato" in Italian, which makes perfect sense since this easy dish is a bowl of tomato love! This is also a very common dish during the summer time because it's so light and quick to make.

Ingredients

• Whole Wheat Pasta
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Garlic 
• Basil
• Olive Oil 
• Goat Cheese
• Salt and Pepper 

Instructions

1.

1. Start by heating up a good drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet. Add chopped garlic and allow to slowly caramelize.
2. Meanwhile, cook angel hair pasta in boiling water until al-dente. It cooks fast so keep your eye on it.
3. Once the garlic is beginning to golden, add tomatoes and roughly chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Allow tomatoes to cook until they begin to break down a bit.
5. When pasta is done, use tongs to add pasta directly to tomatoes. Toss to combine.
6. Bowl up your pasta and drizzle with an extra turn of olive oil and top with small pieces of creamy goat cheese and more fresh basil.

Print Recipe

5 from 10 votes

Heirloom Tomato Pomodoro with Whole Wheat Pasta

Heirloom tomato pomodoro is a quick and easy weeknight meal flavored with loads of garlic and tangy goat cheese for creaminess.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: heirloom tomato pomodoro

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 338kcal

Author: Samantha Ferraro

Cost: $10

Ingredients

• 8 oz Whole wheat angel hair pasta
• 1 lb assorted heirloom tomatoes larger ones cut into 1 in pieces and cut large cherry tomatoes in half
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• Small bunch of fresh basil
• Olive oil for drizzling
• 4 ounces Goat cheese optional
• Salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Start by heating up a good drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet. Add chopped garlic and allow to slowly caramelize.
• Meanwhile, cook angel hair pasta in boiling water until al-dente. It cooks fast so keep your eye on it.
• Once the garlic is beginning to golden, add tomatoes and roughly chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Allow tomatoes to cook until they begin to break down a bit.
• When pasta is done, use tongs to add pasta directly to tomatoes. Toss to combine.
• Bowl up your pasta and drizzle with an extra turn of olive oil and top with small pieces of creamy goat cheese and more fresh basil.

Nutrition

Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 224mg | Potassium: 620mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2479IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 3mg

Learn to make homemade ricotta cheese made with just 4 ingredients.

The process is pretty easy really. All you need is milk and cream, acid and some time. Get the best whole milk you can find, you can taste the difference.

Then you bring it up to temp and get it nice and sweaty. After a few heightened degrees, acid is added it help form the curds. And speaking of curds, here's a vocabulary lesson for you!

Curds are the curdling cheese that starts to pull away from the whey, which is the liquid that's leftover.

Don't be surprised if you find yourself sneaking big spoonfuls. It's pretty addictive.

Also, another tip, thanks to Wonky Wonderful: As the curds are draining, do not..and I repeat..DO NOT press down on the curds to squeeze more liquid out. This will cause you to have a very dry cheese! Instead, just allow the liquid to naturally drip off and once you don't see any more liquid, then you should be goo to go. It took me a solid 2 hours.

Method:

1) In a large pot, combine milk, cream and salt. Place on low-medium heat and use a candy thermometer to bring the milk up to 190 degrees F.

2) Once it reaches temperature, turn off heat and add lemon juice. Stir it once and allow to sit for 5 minutes. At this point you should see the milk beginning to curdle.

3) Line a large mesh strainer we several layers of cheese cloth. Place the strainer on top of a very large pot and ladle the milk mixture into lined strainer. You will need a large pot to catch all of the liquid, there will be a lot.

4) Allow the mixture to drain for 2 hours. Do not squeeze the cheese, just allow the liquid to nationally drip off.

5) When done, scoop fresh ricotta into large or small mason jars and show off your work to your friends.

Recipes that use Ricotta

Print Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Learn to make homemade ricotta cheese made with just 4 ingredients.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Strain2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: British

Keyword: homemade ricotta cheese

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 282kcal

Author: Samantha Ferraro

Ingredients

• 8 cups whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 10 Tb fresh lemon juice strained (about 3-4 lemons)
• 1 teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In a large pot, combine milk, cream and salt. Place on low-medium heat and use a candy thermometer to bring the milk up to 190 degrees F.
• Once it reaches temperature, turn off heat and add lemon juice. Stir it once and allow to sit for 5 minutes. At this point you should see the milk beginning to curdle.
• Line a large mesh strainer we several layers of cheese cloth. Place the strainer on top of a very large pot and ladle the milk mixture into lined strainer. You will need a large pot to catch all of the liquid, there will be a lot.
• Allow the mixture to drain for 2 hours. Do not squeeze the cheese, just allow the liquid to nationally drip off.
• When done, scoop fresh ricotta into large or small mason jars chill completely.

Notes

Yields 3-4 cups of ricotta.

Nutrition

Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 320mg | Potassium: 354mg | Fiber: 0.04g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1017IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 273mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Roasted caprese offers a warmer and robust feel than the traditional salad, with roasted tomatoes and garlic and a fresh basil oil.

Well this has been quite the interesting weekend. I originally planned to post this recipe yesterday, but the weekend decided to take over and cause some slightly frightening events. It is fitting to finally post my favorite dish though, because it is somewhat comforting to me.

Sudday started off great. We went to the Angels and Yankees game and saw the Yankees kick some Cali butt!

Now onto one of my my favorite dishes. Anything with Tomatoes like my Heirloom Tomato and Garlic Focaccia or my Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta.

Roasted tomato caprese salad is simple, comforting and explodes with flavor. I eat this salad several times a week because it is that amazing.

Simple ingredients = amazing dishes. All that is here are roasted cherry tomatoes and mini bell peppers with whole garlic cloves. In a high heat oven the tomatoes begin to blister and slowly pop with sweet tomato juice. My favorite part are the whole garlic cloves. When they stay whole, the garlic becomes sweet and creamy and all you want to do is pop them in your mouth or spread it on a crusty toasted piece of Italian bread. To continue with the flavor explosion, I made a super quick basil oil, where i just pulsed together roughly chopped basil and olive oil. The basil's aroma opens up and cuts some of the tomato sweetness.

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Roasted Caprese with Basil Oil

Roasted caprese offers a warmer and robust feel than the traditional salad, with roasted tomatoes and garlic and a fresh basil oil.

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 194kcal

Author: Samantha Ferraro

Ingredients

• 2 lbs cherry tomatoes any color
• 5-6 mini bell peppers
• 2 oz fresh Mozzarella
• 4-5 whole garlic cloves skin removed
• Few leaves of fresh basil
• Olive oil for drizzling
• Salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In a small baking dish, add the tomatoes, peppers and garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and dust with salt and pepper. Toss together and bake in 400 degree F oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the tomatoes blister and garlic begins to get golden.
• When done, allow tomatoes to cool for a few minutes.
• In a small food processor (or you can roughly chop), add basil leaves and olive oil. Pulse together until a rough pesto forms.
• To assemble: spoon basil oil on bottom of plate, then place roughly torn fresh mozzarella and top with caramelized tomatoes, peppers and garlic. Drizzle additional olive on the top.

Nutrition

Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 231mg | Potassium: 1182mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 4602IU | Vitamin C: 195mg | Calcium: 209mg | Iron: 4mg