Pasta with Prosciutto and Spinach

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 (9-ounce) package fresh cheese tortellini (such as DiGiorno)
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup (1 ounce) preshredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Transfer pasta to a large bowl.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add nuts to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally. Add nuts to bowl.

3. Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach to pan; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly. Add spinach mixture, cheese, and remaining ingredients to bowl; toss well.

Comments:
Another recipe where the number of servings is questionable. It's supposed to make four, but we got maybe 3. And I measured every last ingredient and used a one-cup measuring cup for plating. Argh. This was pretty good. Much better use for prosciutto, although I did alter the recipe a little bit and threw the prosciutto into the pan with the spinach to heat through.

Leek-and-Gnocchi Bake with Three Cheeses and Crispy Prosciutto

From Everyday with Rachael Ray February 2009 (I don't see it on the website either. What the heck.)



Ingredients:
1 tbsp EVOO
8 thin slices prosciutto, halved crosswise
2 leeks - trimmed and cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick
salt & pepper
Two 10 to 12-ounce packages potato gnocchi
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
ground nutmeg (I left this out)
1 cup grated fontina
1/2 cup grated asiago
1/2 cup grated parmesan (or parmigiano-reggiano)

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat the EVOO. Working in batches if necessary, add the prosciutto in a single layer and cook, turning once, until crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Add the leeks to the skillet and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt & pepper.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the gnocchi and cook until the gnocchi float to the surface, about 3 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, the whisk in the milk. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes. Stir in the fontina and asiago until melted.

4. Preheat the broiler. Drain the gnocchi and place in a casserole dish. Stir in the leeks and cheese sauce and top with the parmesan. Broil the casserole until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Top with crumbled prosciutto.

Comments:
This was fantastic. I actually used prosciutto this time rather than subbing bacon. It was too salty for my tastes so I'll probably swap it out again in the future. You never know until you try it though, right? Other than that, this turned out great. And Adam even ate some of the leftovers today so I know it had to be good! Leeks and gnocchi. What's not to like?