Chicken with ricotta dumplings

Active: 10 minutes; Total: 1 hour 10 minutes; Serves: 6

Cherry tomatoes	20 ounces
Olives, Nicoise	3/4 cup
Wine, dry red	1/3 cup
Salt	1/8 teaspoon +
Pepper, freshly ground	1/8 teaspoon +
Nutmeg, freshly ground	Pinch +
Chicken, boneless, skinless thighs	6
Olive oil, extra virgin	1 tablespoon
Ricotta	8 ounces
Parmesan, grated	½ cup + 2 tablespoons
Egg, lightly beaten	1 large
Flour, all-purpose	¼ cup
Oregano, fresh snipped	1 tablespoon

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. 
2. In a 3-quart rectangular baking dish, combine the tomatoes, olives, wine, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; bake 20 minutes. 
3. Pat chicken dry with paper towels; brush with oil. 
4. Add chicken to the tomato mixture; bake 20 minutes. 
5. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, ½ cup parmesan, egg, flour, oregano, pinch of salt, pinch of pepper, and pinch of nutmeg. 
6. Drop dumpling dough from a tablespoon onto the hot chicken mixture. 
7. Sprinkle with 2-tablespoons parmesan; bake 20 minutes. 
8. Let stand 5 minutes, sprinkle with fresh oregano, and serve. 

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens.

Pumpkin alfredo with ricotta-stuffed manicotti

Pasta, manicotti	7 ounces
Oil, olive	1 teaspoon
Ricotta	1 cup
Mozzarella, shredded	¼ cup
Egg, lightly beaten	1 large
Basil, minced	3 leaves
Sage, minced	3 leaves + 3 leaves
Garlic, minced	1 clove + 2 cloves
Salt	¼ teaspoon +
Pepper, red, crushed	Pinch
Butter, unsalted	2 tablespoons
Shallot, minced	1
Pumpkin puree	¾ cup
Crème fraîche	2 tablespoons
Parmesan	¼ cup +
Nutmeg, freshly ground	Pinch
Pepper, freshly ground

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
3. Add the pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. 
4. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water; set aside. 
5. Drain the pasta, and toss with oil; set aside. 
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the ricotta, mozzarella, egg, basil, 3 sage leaves, garlic, salt, and red pepper. 
7. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring constantly, until it begins to foam and brown speckles begin to appear. 
8. Keep stirring until the foam subsides, and the color turns to a medium brown. 
9. Add the shallots and 2 garlic cloves, and turn down the heat to medium-low. 
10. Cook until the shallots have softened, about 1 minute. 
11. Stir in the pumpkin, 3 sage leaves, crème fraîche, parmesan, and ½-to-¾ cup of the reserved pasta water. 
12. Stuff each manicotti with spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture, and arrange in a 13-inch-by-9-inch casserole dish. 
13. Pour the sauce around and over the pasta, and cover with a sheet of foil. 
14. Bake for 15, remove the foil and sprinkle with more parmesan, then bake for 5 minutes more.

Kale & sausage lasagna with pumpkin béchamel

Butter	4 tablespoons
Flour	6 tablespoons
Milk, hot	4 cups
Salt	¼ teaspoon
Pepper, white, freshly ground	¼ teaspoon
Nutmeg, freshly ground	Pinch
Pumpkin, pureed	2 cups
Lasagna noodles	15
Oil, olive	2 tablespoons
Sausage, sweet Italian, chopped	1 ½ pounds
Kale, stems removed, chopped	8 cups
Garlic, minced	8 cloves
Red pepper, crushed	¼ teaspoon
Ricotta	1 pound
Eggs	2 large
Sage, fresh, finely chopped	2 tablespoons
Mozzarella, shredded or sliced	2 cups
Parmesan, finely shredded	¼ cup

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon to make a smooth, somewhat loose paste.
3. Continue stirring until the butter and flour foam together for 2 minutes without coloring more than a buttery yellow; remove from heat. 
4. When the bubbling stops, pour in the hot milk all at once, whisking vigorously to blend thoroughly. 
5. Continue whisking slowly over moderately high heat, scraping along the bottom and sides of the pan, until the sauce comes to a simmer; simmer 2 to 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. 
6. Stir in the salt, white pepper, nutmeg, and pumpkin. 
7. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. 
8. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook for 6 minutes; drain, and set aside. 
9. In a cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. 
10. Add the sausage and cook through, until all the pink is gone, stirring occasionally; drain all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. 
11. Add the kale and garlic, stirring to coat; cook until wilted, add the red pepper, then set aside. 
12. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, and sage; set aside. 
13. To assemble, spoon 1 cup of béchamel to the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan; cover by layering 4 to 5 noodles lengthwise. 
14. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, followed by half of the kale-sausage mixture, cover with 1-cup mozzarella, and then pour 1-cup béchamel over the cheese. 
15. Add another layer of noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, kale-sausage mixture, and mozzarella. 
16. Top with the last layer of noodles, pour the remaining béchamel over the top, and then sprinkle with parmesan evenly. 
17. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
18. Let rest 15 minutes before serving. 

Recipe from Food52.com.

World’s best lasagna

Sausage, sweet Italian, casting removed, crumbed	1 pound
Beef, lean, ground	¾ pound
Shallots, minced	½ cup
Garlic, minced	3 cloves
Tomatoes, crushed	28 ounces
Tomato paste	12 ounces
Tomato sauce	13 ounces
Water	½ cup
Sugar	2 tablespoons
Fennel seeds	1 teaspoon
Italian seasonings	1 teaspoon
Salt	½ teaspoon + ½ teaspoon
Pepper, freshly ground	½ teaspoon
Parsley, freshly chopped	¼ cup + ¼ cup
Lasagna noodles, cooked	12
Cheese, ricotta	16 ounces
Egg	1 large
Cheese, mozzarella, fresh, sliced	¾ pound
Cheese, Parmesan, grated	¾ cup

1. In a large stockpot, cook the sausage, beef, shallot, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. 
2. Stir in the tomatoes and water. 
3. Season with the sugar, basil, fennel, Italian seasoning, ½-teaspoon salt, pepper, and ¼-cup parsley. 
4. Simmer, covered, for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. 
5. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta with the egg, ¼-cup parsley, and ½-teaspoon salt. 
6. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 
7. To assemble, spread 1 ½-cups meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. 
8. Arrange six noodles lengthwise over the meat sauce, and spread with half of the ricotta mixture. 
9. Top with a third of the mozzarella slices. 
10. Spoon 1 ½-cups meat sauce over the mozzarella, and sprinkle with ¼-cup Parmesan. 
11. Repeat layers, and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. 
12. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, spray the foil with cooking spray. 
13. Bake for 25 minutes, remove the foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. 
14. Cool 15 minutes before serving. 

Recipe mildly adapted from allrecipes.com.