stuffedportobellomushrooms

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Mushrooms are one of the few common staples that were not grown in our garden. Because we lived near the Mushroom Capitol of the World, a fresh supply of all sorts of mushrooms were always available. There are as many ways to stuff a mushroom as there are varieties of mushrooms. Using mushrooms as a base for a ricotta based filling offers an alternative to using pasta. This is a great gluten free recipe, and it is so easy and fast to make.

Ingredients

4 large Portobello mushrooms
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 cups whole milk Ricotta cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella and/or mixed cheddar cheese
2 medium egg yolks
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon freshly chopped Italian Parsley
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch of sea/kosher salt & ground pepper
½ cup cooked chopped spinach
2 cups marinara sauce

Remove the stems and gills from the mushrooms. Brush top and bottom with oil and
season with salt and pepper. Place side by side, with the top facing up in a baking pan and bake at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes. Baking, along with the salt, removes some of the moisture and softens the mushroom. In place of baking, you can cook them on a grill top or in a frying pan for about 5 minutes for each side.

Filling

Combine the ricotta, grated parmesan cheese, slightly beaten egg yolks, nutmeg, parsley, and spinach in a large mixing bowl. If you are using frozen chopped spinach, add the cooked spinach to the mixture after you squeeze it dry and pat with a paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible. The amount of spinach added to the mixture may vary according to your taste. For fresh spinach, remove stems, blanch and remove moisture as you would for frozen spinach.

Baking

This filling is basically the same that I use for spinach ravioli and some lasagnas. When the mushrooms cool to room temperature, place the underside facing up. First coat them with a layer of marinara sauce and then spread out the filling in each mushroom. Cover with a little more sauce, and then spread the shredded mozzarella and/or cheddar mix cheese over the top of each mushroom. You can sprinkle a little more parmesan cheese over each cap. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 425 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese mixture is bubbly and melted.

Allow each mushroom to set a little before you serve them. Treat this the same way as a mini lasagna.