Everyday Pasta by Giada Laurentiis (summer beach reads TXT) 📕

so much that I’ve adapted the recipe for ground raw turkey. Now we can have it any night of the year! We like it with the slightly spicy arrabbiata sauce, because turkey can be a bit on the bland side (especially if you can only get ground white-meat turkey), but if you want to use your favorite jarred marinara sauce instead, it’s still a great dish.

1 (12-ounce) box jumbo pasta shells

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat or a mix of dark and light meats

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (8- to 10-ounce) package frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely chopped

1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheese

¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

5 cups Arrabbiata Sauce or marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade)

1½ cups grated mozzarella cheese (about 5 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and the garlic and cook until the onion is soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is lightly golden and cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine.

Cover the bottom of a 9 × 13 × 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of the Arrabbiata Sauce. Hold a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture, about 2 tablespoons. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full; you should have about 24 shells. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata Sauce over the shells and top with the grated mozzarella. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 25 minutes.

Gnocchi with Thyme Butter Sauce

4 to 6 servings (makes about 54 gnocchi)

I happen to love gnocchi; they’re like little pillows in your mouth, and very, very comforting. Although you can get them at any grocery store these days, when I have some time, I still enjoy making them at home.

Gnocchi

2 baking potatoes, such as russets (about 12 ounces each)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup shaved Pecorino Romano, for garnish

Thyme Butter Sauce

¾ cup unsalted butter (1½ sticks)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the gnocchi, pierce the potatoes all over with a fork. Microwave the potatoes on High until tender, turning once, about 12 minutes. (You can also bake the potatoes at 375°F for 50 minutes, or until tender.) While the potatoes are still warm, cut them in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Discard the skin. Using a fork, mash the potato well. Stir in the egg, salt, and pepper. Sift the flour over the potato mixture and stir just until blended.

Scoop out a large spoonful of gnocchi dough. Roll each scoop on the work surface into about a ½-inch-diameter rope. Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough over a wooden paddle with ridges or over the tines of a fork to form grooves in the dough. Set the formed gnocchi on a baking sheet while you form the rest of the dough.

To make the thyme butter, melt the butter with the thyme leaves in a medium, heavy skillet over medium heat until the butter is melted, about 2 minutes.

Working in two batches, cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water until they have all risen to the surface, about 3 minutes. Scoop the gnocchi into a colander with a slotted spoon while you cook the second batch. Reheat the thyme butter sauce over low heat. Transfer the cooked gnocchi to the skillet with the hot thyme butter and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss again.

Spoon the gnocchi and butter sauce into shallow bowls. Top with the Pecorino and serve.

Ricotta Gnudi in Parmesan Broth

4 to 6 servings

Gnudi translates literally as “nude,” a reference to the fact that these little dumplings are basically “naked” raviolis—the fillings without their pasta wrappers. Served in a savory broth, this is a comforting winter meal.

Parmesan Broth

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Ricotta Gnudi

2½ cups whole-milk ricotta cheese

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 egg white

2 ounces prosciutto, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus 1 cup for dredging

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the broth has reduced to 4 cups, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the gnudi. Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer over high heat. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, egg, egg white, prosciutto, parsley, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and mix thoroughly. When the water is simmering and ready, stir the flour into the ricotta mixture. (It is important not to add the flour too soon; otherwise they will become dense and gummy, not light.) Shape the gnudi using two large soup spoons: scoop up a large spoonful of ricotta mixture into one spoon, then scoop the mixture onto the other spoon and back again, forming a three-sided oval. Drop the gnudi into the dredging flour. Form