This Shrimp Scampi Risotto combines two of my favorite dishes – garlicky herby shrimp and creamy risotto loaded with parmesan and a good amount of lemon. It's slightly brothy to resemble the sauciness of shrimp scampi, so serve with some toasty bread to soak it all up. 

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Ingredients 

For the shrimp scampi 

• Olive oil: extra virgin olive oil is best – healthiest and most robust flavor. 
• Unsalted butter: adds a bit of richness.
• Shrimp: Medium-sized defrosted or fresh shrimp; usually 36-40 per lb. 
• Garlic: five cloves of garlic, sliced. 
• Red pepper flakes: adds a little depth, not necessarily making the dish spicy though. 
• Lemon juice: the acidity and brightness known to a classic shrimp scampi.
• Salt and black pepper: seasoning! Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper if you can. 
• White wine: a dry white wine such as sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. 

For the risotto

• Olive oil: extra virgin olive oil.
• Onion: yellow onion minced fairly small. 
• Arborio rice: this is the best rice to make risotto with – it’s a short grain white starchy rice, so as it cooks it releases its starch to thicken the sauce as it cooks through. If you are having trouble finding this variety of rice, I suggest using any other short grain white rice. 
• White wine: same as you used for the shrimp – a dry white wine. 
• Vegetable or chicken stock: this is what you use to cook the rice in intervals, vegetable stock or chicken stock are my preference as they add flavor without overpowering. Chicken broth or vegetable broth also work. 
• Parmesan: fresh grated parmesan makes the risotto nice and creamy.  
• Lemon zest: adds a hit of brightness at the end that pairs really well with the shrimp scampi. 
• Salt and black pepper: kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper if you can. 
• Parsley: a fresh element to balance everything. 
• Unsalted butter: to finish the dish and make it nice and luscious. 

What is risotto?

Risotto is an Italian dish believed to have originated in Northern Italy. It uses a cooking process of gradually adding liquid as it cooks so the rice slowly releases its starch, resulting in a creamy, luscious texture. More on the history of risotto here.

How to make shrimp scampi risotto 

Tips and tricks 

• Use frozen shrimp and thaw when you need it. Most times, grocery stores are selling pre-frozen shrimp anyway, so if you buy it frozen yourself you get it as fresh as possible because you can defrost it on your own terms. 
• Stir the risotto very frequently as it cooks - this ensures nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan and the rice cooks as evenly as possible. 
• Always use warm stock, it helps make sure it absorbs into the rice evenly.
• Monitor the heat so it’s always simmering but never boiling. 

Storage and reheating 

• Store in an airtight container in the fridge. 
• To reheat, warm in the microwave for a few minutes, stirring halfway through, until warm. 

FAQs

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📖 Recipe

These Rice and Bean Tacos are an incredibly easy and quick meal to throw together. They use simple microwave Spanish rice and canned black beans that get zhuzhed up a bit with chopped chiles. 

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Ingredients

• Rice: microwave rice works great here to keep it simple. I like Ben’s Ready Rice Spanish Style. Here's a recipe if you'd like to make your own Spanish style rice, and one if you'd like to make your own Mexican style rice. 
• Black beans: canned black beans work well here. You could substitute pinto beans or kidney beans if you like something a little creamier. 
• Spices: a mixture of cumin, chipotle powder, garlic powder, and onion powder – all of which add a nice well rounded flavor to the canned black beans. 
• Mild chopped green chiles: sold in a can, available in most grocery stores. 
• Tortillas: corn tortillas or flour tortillas, whichever you prefer. 
• Salt: balance and bring out the flavors. 
• Toppings: my preferred toppings are avocado for creaminess, limes for acidity, cilantro to brighten it up, and white onion for a little bite.

How to make rice and black bean tacos

Tips and tricks

• Warm your tortillas, it makes them more malleable and more enjoyable to eat. 
• Squeeze lime juice on the avocado to prevent it from going brown. 
• Drain and rinse your beans, you don’t want the liquid they sit in going into your tacos. 
• To make the onions more mild and less pungent, run them under cold water and pat them dry before you add them to the tacos. 
• If you want to avoid the tortilla, you can serve the rice and beans over some shredded lettuce, with whatever additional toppings you’d like – chopped fresh tomatoes, cucumbers,  avocado, etc.!
• To meal prep these rice and bean tacos – make the bean mixture and warm the rice, store each separately in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

Ingredient substitutions

• Rice: Cilantro lime rice would also be great. Brown rice also works as a back-up option although will be lacking in flavor. 
• Spies: Rather than using all those spices individually, you can add a teaspoon or two of taco seasoning. 
• Onion: Red onion or pico de gallo can be used in place of a white onion.
• Chopped green chiles: If you're not able to find this in a can, I'd suggest getting a poblano pepper in its place. Poblano peppers are nice and mild.
• Tortillas: if you prefer crispy tacos, you can use the hard taco shells. 

Taco toppings

Taco toppings are really up to personal preference. While I like avocado, lime juice, cilantro, and onion, some other great options are:

• Coleslaw 
• Red cabbage 
• A crumbly cheese (like cotija cheese or queso fresco) 
• Some hot sauce or chipotle crema
• Chopped jalapeno pepper
• Corn salsa or tomato salsa

Storage and reheating

• To store any leftovers, I suggest storing the pieces individually – rice in one container, beans in another, and toppings in another. Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in airtight containers.
  • To reheat, assemble the taco and warm in the microwave for a few minutes. Or you can reheat each ingredient separately and then assemble once all are warmed. 

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📖 Recipe

This Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna is a staple recipe from my childhood, with layers of homemade tomato sauce and a creamy ricotta and spinach filling between noodles, topped with more cheese and baked until the edges are crisp and the inside is tender and perfectly cooked. I added a few new things to spice it up – lemon zest and nutmeg – and they really take it to the next level.

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Ingredients 

Ingredients to make this spinach ricotta lasagna are below, with quantities listed in the recipe card at the end of this post. 

• Pasta noodles: I like to use the no boil pasta noodles. Yes, it’s cutting a corner, but I feel like the biggest annoyance of a lasagna is par-boiling the noodles in a huge pot and then separating them and dealing with all that. 
• Passata: Strained tomatoes (no chunks, even smoother than a tomato puree) which is perfect for a smooth tomato sauce. Learn more about passata here.
• Yellow onion: Minced onion creates the perfect base of flavor for the tomato sauce. 
• Garlic: About four garlic cloves, minced, flavors the sauce.
• Cheeses: A mixture of ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, and grated parmesan cheese are combined to make the cheese layer. 
• Olive oil: For sautéing the onion and garlic. 
• Egg: Binds together the cheese mixture and gives it a somewhat custardy texture. 
• Parsley: A fresh element in the cheese layer. 
• Spinach: Fresh spinach or frozen spinach can be used. I like to use fresh and cook it down. If you’re using frozen spinach make sure you defrost it and squeeze out the excess water.
• Lemon zest: The smallest hint of lemon zest brings the dish to life with acidity and a very mild background flavor of citrus. 
• Nutmeg: A dash of nutmeg brings a subtle warmth and depth of flavor. 
• Salt and pepper

How to make spinach and ricotta lasagna

What is lasagna?

It’s an Italian baked pasta dish made with bolognese and bechamel sauce (meat sauce and white sauce), however many regions make it differently, so there is no one traditional lasagna recipe. For example, in southern Italy they use ricotta instead of bechamel, and that is how I like it (the Italian part of my family is from Sicily). Then, to make it vegetarian, I use a classic marinara sauce in place of meat sauce (bolognese). 

Tips and tricks 

• The no-boil noodles expand as they bake so if they don’t cover the entirety of the pan don’t worry.
  • If you want to use regular noodles or fresh lasagna sheets you can – just par boil lasagna noodles to al dente (a few minutes shy of package instructions), then drain the cooked noodles and lay them out individually so they don't get stuck together while you prep the rest of the ingredients. Cooking time will vary based on the noodle you use, so make sure you check the packaging. 
• If you want an extra crispy top, broil the lasagna for a few minutes before you take it out of the oven.
• If you have a jarred marinara sauce that you swear by, feel free to use it in this recipe instead of making your own sauce. 
• While this is a vegetarian lasagna recipe, if you want to make it a meat lasagna I’d suggest browning some ground beef and adding it to the sauce (you can cook it in the same skillet before you add the onion and garlic). 
• You can use a food processor to cut up the spinach and make the ricotta mixture. 
• If you want to add more protein, use half cottage cheese and half ricotta cheese. 
• To make it a little spicy, add some red pepper flakes or chopped Calabrian chili to the tomato sauce. 

Storage and reheating

• Store leftover lasagna in the fridge in an airtight container. 
• Reheat lasagna in the microwave for a few minutes or the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes. 
• Lasagna can be par baked and frozen, then finished baking when you’d like to eat it. I like to do this in a foil baking dish as opposed to ceramic. 

What to serve with spinach and ricotta lasagna 

Lasagna is quite filling on its own, but if you want to balance the meal with something additional here are some suggestions!

• A simple arugula salad with lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and pistachios or pine nuts.
• If you'd like to add meat, a grilled steak or roasted chicken would be delicious. 
• A vegetable side dish like roasted zucchini or carrots glazed with maple and chili. 

How to make lasagna ahead 

Prepare and assemble the lasagna in your baking dish, wrap it in foil or plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for up to two days. Before you bake it, take it out 30 minutes to start bringing it to room temperature.

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📖 Recipe