What is the most challenging thing you've ever cooked? I thought that it would be the Drum of Ziti from a few week's ago for me but I think crepes officially top that list. The fact is, if you don't have the proper tools and don't really know what you're doing, you're pretty much doomed from the start. However, with a little improvisation and a lot of resourcefulness, I managed to create enough crepes to make this week's main dish.

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Stuffed Crepes
Stewed Beans Tuscan Style
Simple Ricotta Cake
Weeknight Extra: Maria Rosa's Sauce

The Stuffed Crepes weren't terribly hard to make. Making the actual crepes was the hardest part. They're supposed to be paper thin but getting them to that point is hard without the special tool because they immediately begin cooking as soon as the batter hits the pan. After managing enough to feed my family, I was able to assemble them and bake. They were delicious with a cheesy, spinach filling. I wouldn't recommend these for a weeknight but definitely for a Sunday night dinner.

Stewed Beans Tuscan Style was much different than I thought it would be. It was basically an Italian bean salad. Delicious, flavorful and packed with nutrition, this would make a great side to many things like sandwiches, burgers, meat dishes, etc. I would add a little extra liquid to cook the beans longer. They turned out a bit too al dente for my preference.

The Ricotta Cake was something I put a lot of love into. It gave no love back though. Maybe it's because I used a different pan then is required? I still haven't managed to get myself a spring form pan. What was supposed to be light and decadent turned out do be dense and wet. It looked like a stick of butter when you cut into it. Needless to say, this heavy baby went straight into the trash bin. There was no salvaging the 2 pounds of Ricotta cheese that went to waste with this science experiment.

Maria Rosa's Sauce is one of my favorites in The Tucci Cookbook. It was used many times already throughout the series in other recipes but never on its own. This is a great option for weeknights. It cooks up fast and gets lots of veggies in a kid favorite, pasta. If you want to mask the veggies, simply puree the sauce. It's packed with flavor and easy enough for busy nights.