Pea Ricotta Mint And Spinach Sandwich Food

PEA, RICOTTA, MINT AND SPINACH SANDWICH

Steps:

• At Home: boil, steam or microwave peas until tender and drain. Cool, then lightly crush peas with a fork. Combine pea mash with ricotta, juice and mint.
• At Work: Spread a third of the mix on one slice of bread, top with spinach and another slice of bread. Repeat with the other slices of bread or save mix for another day and another sandwich.

PEA, RICOTTA, MINT AND SPINACH SANDWICH FILLING

Steps:

• Boil, steam or microwave the peas until they are tender; drain; cool; then, using a fork, lightly crush the peas.
• Combine the pea mash with the ricotta, lemon juice and fresh mint.
• At lunchtime, spread the pea mixture on one slice of soy and linseed bread, top with the baby spinach leaves and then with the second slice of bread; or spread on two low calorie crispbreads.

SPAGHETTI WITH SPINACH, PEAS, AND HERBED RICOTTA

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine ricotta, lemon zest and juice, and basil; season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add spinach; season generously and cook, stirring, until just wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water 2 minutes less than per package instructions. Add peas; cook 1 minute more. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain. Add pasta, peas, and 3/4 cup ricotta mixture to skillet.
• Reduce heat to low and stir, adding enough reserved pasta water to create a silky sauce; season to taste. To serve, dollop pasta with remaining ricotta mixture, drizzle with more oil, and sprinkle with basil leaves.

SPINACH & RICOTTA PENNE

Steps:

• Cook the pasta following pack instructions until al dente, about 12 mins.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep frying pan over a medium heat and cook the garlic and leeks for 5 mins, stirring until soft. Add the spinach, cover and cook for 3 mins more until wilted. Stir well.
• Mix the ricotta with the milk, cheese and a grating of nutmeg. Drain the pasta (reserving a mugful of the water), and add it to the veg. Pour over the ricotta mixture and toss well to combine. Add 3-4 tbsp of the reserved pasta water to loosen a little, then serve.

RICOTTA AND SPINACH FRITTATA WITH MINT

Steps:

• Steam the spinach above 1 inch of boiling water just until it wilts, about two minutes. Rinse with cold water, squeeze out excess moisture and chop fine.
• In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, salt, pepper, ricotta, garlic, spinach and mint.
• Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy 10-inch nonstick skillet. Drop a bit of egg into the pan; if it sizzles and cooks at once, the pan is ready. Pour in the egg mixture. Tilt the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with the spatula in your other hand, to let the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking.
• Turn the heat down to low, cover and cook 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently every once in a while. From time to time, remove the lid, tilt the pan and loosen the bottom of the frittata with a wooden spatula so that the bottom doesn't burn. It should turn a golden color. The eggs should be just about set; cook a few minutes longer if they're not.
• Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Uncover the pan and place under the broiler, not too close to the heat, for one to three minutes, watching very carefully to make sure the top doesn't burn (at most, it should brown very slightly and puff under the broiler). Remove from the heat, shake the pan to make sure the frittata isn't sticking, and allow it to cool for at least five minutes and for as long as 15 minutes. Loosen the edges with a wooden or plastic spatula. Carefully slide from the pan onto a large round platter. Cut into wedges or into smaller bite-size diamonds. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature or cold.