Comfort Food with a side of Nutrition

As I was walking around through the snow drifts in the subzero temperatures this morning, I had conflicting cravings.  I wanted a giant bowl of pasta covered in tomato sauce and cheese.  I also wanted a light Mediterranean type meal that would take my mind back to summer.  I decided to create a recipe that blended my two cravings together and came with "Mediterranean Pasta Roll-ups".




I like to make my own pasta because it means I get to control what ingredients are used and I know there aren't any preservatives in it.  For this particular recipe, I made pasta using a blend of unbleached all-purpose flour and garbanzo bean flour.  Garbanzo bean flour is high in protein and gives a hint of a hummus flavor to the pasta.  If you don't have time or resources to make your own pasta, you can use lasagna noodles.  They will need to be boiled and cooled before continuing on with the recipe.  If you want to try making your own pasta you can refer to my recipe below.


Garbanzo Bean Pasta:
3 c all purpose flour
1/2 c garbanzo bean flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 lg eggs
3 Tbsp water
Combine all ingredients on speed 2 of a stand mixer.  Mix the dough using the paddle attachment for the first 30 seconds, then switch to the dough hook and continue for 2 minutes more.  Once the dough forms a ball, turn it out onto a board and knead by hand for one minute.  The dough should be dense, but maliable.  Form the dough into a log that is about 1 in thick and 5 inches wide.  Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.  Then cut the dough into 1 in thick slices and roll it out using a pasta roller attachment or a rolling pin.  The dough needs to be paper thin.


Once you have your pasta sheets or lasagna noodles prepared, you are ready to make some roll-ups.  For the roll-ups you will need:


8 Campari tomatoes (diced)
2 handfuls crimini mushrooms (diced)
3 cloves of fresh garlic (minced)
6 oz crumbled feta cheese
4 oz crumbled goat cheese
2 Tbsp lemon juice
8 oz baby spinach
1/4 c olive oil
2 Tbsp dried oregano
Grated parmegiano reggiano cheese for garnish


Mix the oregano and olive oil together.  In a separate bowl, mix the diced tomatoes, mushrooms. garlic, feta cheese, goat cheese, and lemon juice.


Now, to make the roll-ups:


Brush the pasta sheets with the oregano/olive oil blend.  Put down a thick layer of fresh spinach.  Top this with the cheese mixture.  Roll up your pasta sheets and place them in a baking dish.  Brush the tops of the roll-ups with the remaining olive oil.  Garnish by sprinkling grated parmegiano-reggiano cheese and placing sliced Campari tomatoes on top.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. 


As always, it is best to use organic, locally sourced ingredients when you can.  Also, when choosing oils, it is best to buy cold pressed or expeller pressed as these processes preserve nutrients.