Mushrooms Stuffed with Ricotta and Spinach [vegetarian]

When I was making Mushrooms Stuffed with Ricotta and Pesto some time ago, I thought I could try to make them with another stuffing. This time I wanted to make a lunch dish and used big Portobello mushrooms, one per person. When it came to choosing a filling, I decided to check how ingredients that I normally use for spinach gnocchi would work, I only omitted flour and egg that help the gnocchi keep their shape.

Everything worked very well together and we ended up with a delicious, light but satisfying summer lunch that I know could also be used a starter for a lunch or dinner party.

INGREDIENTS (for 4 portions):

250g fresh spinach, washed and dried,

2 garlic cloves, crushed or thinly cut,

250g ricotta cheese,

50g grated Parmesan cheese,

a big handful of basil leaves,

4 big mushrooms (e.g. Portobello), each weighing approx. 100g, washed and pat dried,

salt and pepper,

a drop of oil for greasing.

METHOD:

1. Put the spinach in a big non-stick frying pan and fry it, stirring it until it is wilted and the water evaporates; half way through the cooking, add the garlic.
2. When the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze the water out.
3. Cut the spinach and the basil thinly.
4. Preheat a fan oven to 180 Celsius degrees.
5. Grease an ovenproof dish.
6. Put the ricotta cheese to a bowl, add half of the Parmesan, spinach and basil, stir, check the taste and season with salt and pepper.
7. Stuff each mushroom with a quarter of the ricotta and spinach filling, put to the prepared dish and sprinkle with the rest of Parmesan.
8. Bake in the hot oven for 30 minutes.
9. Serve with a salad.

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Ricotta and Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms [vegetarian]

I have always been a big fan of mushrooms, both wild and cultivated. But for a long time I was the only one who did in my family. For years my daughters were scared they were going to get poisoned by them (even by the champignons!) and my husband could simply live without them.

But even back then I made these stuffed mushroom, especially if we had guests who would appreciate them more. They are a really delicious starter for a Mediterranean theme dinner or a pot-luck gathering, as they can be baked earlier and eaten later at room temperature.

INGREDIENTS (for 4 portions):

16-20 medium-sized mushrooms,

250g ricotta cheese,

2 tbsp green pesto (plus extra for decorating),

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced,

30g grated Parmesan cheese,

salt and pepper,

1 tbsp olive oil.

METHOD:

1. Wash and dry the mushrooms; trim their stalks.
2. Preheat an oven to 200 Celsius degrees (180C degrees for fan ovens).
3. Mix together the ricotta, pesto, garlic, half of Parmesan cheese and the seasoning.
4. Grease with the olive oil an ovenproof dish big enough for all the mushrooms to be put in one layer (or use 2 smaller ones).
5. Fill in all the mushrooms with the ricotta mix, place them in the dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake in the hot oven for 20 minutes or until golden.
7. Put a bit of pesto on top of each baked mushroom.

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