Bacon- & Spinach-Stuffed Mushrooms ~
~ Antipasti ~
(“funghi ripieni con spinaci e pancetta”)
5 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
4 portobello mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 oz/55 g rindless bacon, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup fresh white or brown bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 400º F/200º C/ Gas Mark 6. Rinse the spinach and place in a pan with only the water clinging to the leaves. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until wilted, drain. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible and chop finely. Any stalks left from the mushrooms, chop finely and reserve the whole caps. If you do not have stalks, chop extra caps, a little, for the mixture to stuff with.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Add the mushroom caps, rounded-side down, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the skillet and arrange, rounded-side down, in a large ovenproof dish.
Add the chopped mushroom stalks, bacon, and garlic to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach, bread crumbs, basil, and salt & pepper to taste. Mix well and divide the stuffing between the mushroom caps.
Drizzle the remaining oil over the top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until crisp and golden.
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