Stir Up Supper
2:41PM January 31, 2013

 

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes With Pancetta and Broccoli Rabe

Recipe from Food Network Kitchens & Real-Life Notes from Jenn Hobby

 

Ingredients:

4 sweet potatoes (about 8 ounces each) 

2 ounces sliced pancetta (about 8 thin slices) (Note 1)

1 bunch broccoli rabe, tough stems trimmed, roughly chopped 

(Note 2)

Kosher salt 

8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (Note 3) 

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese 

1 tablespoon finely grated parmesan cheese 

Freshly grated nutmeg

 

Directions:

Pierce each sweet potato with a fork in a few spots. Arrange on a microwave-safe plate and microwave until soft, about 12 minutes.

(Note 4) 

 

Meanwhile, cook the pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat, turning once, until crisp, about 4 minutes. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels. 

 

Increase the heat to medium high; add the broccoli rabe and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. 

 

Add the mushrooms, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 3 more minutes. 

 

Mix the ricotta, parmesan, and nutmeg to taste in a small bowl. 

 

Split open the sweet potatoes lengthwise and fluff the flesh with a fork. 

 

Top each with about 1 teaspoon of the ricotta mixture, then top evenly with the broccoli rabe mixture and the remaining ricotta mixture. 

 

Chop the pancetta and sprinkle evenly on top. 

 

Notes:

Note 1 - Pancetta is Italian bacon and can be difficult to find at times. Ask at the deli counter of your grocery store or look for it at a specialty butcher or farmer's market. It can also be expensive, so you can substitute with thickly sliced American bacon, prosciutto or Canadian bacon. 

 

Note 2 - Broccoli Rabe (a.k.a. Rapini) is different from regular broccoli. It's flavor is more pungent and it's nutty. Don't plug your nose… Give it a try! It's packed with great vitamins! 

 

Note 3 - Shiitake mushrooms can be found at your grocery store, but are often in a mix of "fancy" mushrooms. You can use all the fancy mushrooms for this recipe, just be sure to discard any tough stems. 

 

Note 4 - Call me crazy, but I like to cook my potatoes (baked or sweet) in the oven. For sweet potatoes, turn oven to 350 degrees F. Prick your sweet potatoes a few times with a fork, rub it down with some olive oil and wrap it loosely in aluminum foil (so it doesn't leak any juices during cooking.) Bake for 45 minutes if it's small, up to 90 minutes for an XL sweet potato.

 

Enjoy! With love, Jenn