Lunch: Spinach Stuffed Braciole in a Sunday Sauce with Pappardelle

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Spinach, Nuts

Health benefits of Spinach Stuffed Braciole in a Sunday Sauce with Pappardelle

Spinach is a nutrient-dense leafy green vegetable that is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as iron, magnesium, and antioxidants. The high iron content in spinach helps combat anemia, which is common in women with PCOS. Magnesium helps reduce inflammation and improve insulin sensitivity. The antioxidants in spinach can help lower oxidative stress, which is beneficial for managing PCOS symptoms. Including spinach in your diet can support overall health and well-being. Nuts are a natural source of Inositol, a derivative of Vitamin B (which is often prescribed in the form of supplements for women with PCOS). Inositol can effectively control the symptoms of PCOS by reducing insulin resistance and improving insulin sensitivity.

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) box chopped frozen organic spinach
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons dried currants or chopped raisins
2 to 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
4 (8-ounce) pieces thin-cut top round veal or beef pounded very thin
Special equipment: Kitchen twine

Instructions

For the braciole: Defrost, drain, and wring the frozen organic spinach dry in a clean kitchen towel and separate with your fingertips while adding to a mixing bowl. Season the spinach with salt, black pepper, and a little nutmeg. Add the chopped hard-boiled eggs, currants, pine nuts, finely chopped garlic, and cheese to the bowl and gently combine. Season the meat with salt and pepper and arrange each steak with one of the narrow ends near you. Divide the filling evenly among the meat slices. Scatter the filling over the meat leaving a 1/2-inch edge or border on the sides. Fold the edge over the filling and tuck in the edges as you roll each bundle to secure the filling. Wrap and roll the remaining bundles and secure with kitchen twine to cover the ends and middle, like wrapping a package.
Heat a large Dutch oven with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil a couple of turns of the pan over medium-high heat. Brown the meat bundles 6 to 8 minutes to evenly caramelize the meat all over.
For the sauce: Remove the bundles from the pan and add 1 tablespoon more olive oil, give a turn of the pan to coat. Add the chopped carrots, onions, sliced garlic, bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Let the vegetables cook 5 minutes to soften, then stir in the chopped rosemary and sage for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and stir to develop the fragrance, then add the white wine and scrape up the pan drippings. Stir in the chicken stock and tomatoes. Break up the tomatoes with a spoon or potato masher. Bring the sauce to a bubble, add the meat back to the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook 2 hours more, stirring occasionally.
After 2 hours, brown the sausages in a frying pan with a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan. Add the browned links to the sauce and gently submerge them, nestling them in with the meat bundles. Simmer the mixture 30 minutes more to cook the sausages through and combine their flavor into the sauce.
Bring a pot of water to a boil for pasta. Salt the water and cook the pasta to al dente. Reserve a cup of starchy cooking liquid just before draining.
Remove the meat bundles to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Remove the sausages to a separate plate to cool.
Drain the pasta and return to a hot pot. Add 1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces, and half of the sauce, toss to combine, adding a little starchy cooking water to make it all come together for you.
Cut the string from the meat and serve the meat dotted with more sauce and sprinkled with fresh parsley on large dinner plates with hot pappardelle pasta topped with fresh basil and some shaved Parm alongside.
Cook's Note: Reserve the sausages and any remaining spoonfuls of sauce for a make-ahead meal later in the week. Open Faced Sausage, 3 Pepper and Onion Sandwiches with Provolone, recipe follows.