Okay, today is very rainy. The type of weather that makes me want to a) watch Harry Potter or read it b) sleep, or c) eat really good cheesy stuffed shells. mmmmmm..... delicious. I think I will go with "c", I don't have time to really read much else except for school books anyways. I am so excited about this blog, cooking is my creative outlet, so this gives me a form of expression when I need a break with some downtime in the kitchen. The shell recipe, I will apologize in advance, is completely addictive and I crave it like crazy. I also make a great sauce to go on the bottom of the pan which is cooked with the shells and then spread over the top at the time of serving. When I cook Italian, I like to listen to my classic Edith Piaf mix, Billie Holiday, and of course the great Louis Armstrong. The food always tastes good when I have these guys playing in the background.
Okay: Lets make the sauce first.
2 jars of the marinated, roasted red peppers, you can buy this at the supermarket or roast your own.
3 cloves fo garlic minced.
1 1/2 cup of orange juice.
half onion chopped.
1/2 cup of E.V.O.O.
saute the onions and garlic with butter in a sauce pan until you get that yummy smell and the onions are opaque. add the oil, red peppers, and orange juice and bring to a boil. After you have
reached the boiling point remove pan from eye let cool for about 15-20 minutes or until warm. Place the ingredients from pan into a blender and blend on high until you get a sauce texture. Only blend once, I have had a really awful sauce explosion from blending in twice. The pressure gets built up and the top will blow off, I also have had burns. Unfun experience, so only blend once!
Pour the sauce into the pan and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 and it is time to cook shells.
Stuffed Shells:
12 Jumbo shells
1 package of ricotta cheese
1 package of mariniated artichoke hearts
10 black or green olives ( I prefer black)
4 tsps of capers
1 package of frozen spinach chopped
1 egg
S & P
2 cups of parmesan cheese
1 cup of mozzarella.
3 tsp. of pine nuts
1/4 cup of olive oil
basil, use as much as you like. I use about 3 tsp of freshly cut basil, just to give it a taste.
You can add meat (sausage or beef if you want, I don't because I don't eat meat)
Okay, cook the shells, rinse, drain and set aside.
In a mixing bowl beat the egg, then add the ricotta cheese and olive oil. Thaw the spinach in microwave, drain and then add to mix, chop up capers, olives, pine nuts, artichokes, and basil and then add to the mix. Add in 2 cups of parmesan and salt and pepper. Mash it all together until it is thoroughly mixed.
Fill the shells with the mixture, place on top of the sauce in the pan. I like to scoop a little bit of the sauce on top of each shell and then cover with the 1 cup of mozzarella.
Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then uncover and back for 5 minutes.
This is such a yummy dish. Hope you all enjoy it when you need some stuffed shells to make the rainy day all better.
Okay: Lets make the sauce first.
2 jars of the marinated, roasted red peppers, you can buy this at the supermarket or roast your own.
3 cloves fo garlic minced.
1 1/2 cup of orange juice.
half onion chopped.
1/2 cup of E.V.O.O.
saute the onions and garlic with butter in a sauce pan until you get that yummy smell and the onions are opaque. add the oil, red peppers, and orange juice and bring to a boil. After you have
reached the boiling point remove pan from eye let cool for about 15-20 minutes or until warm. Place the ingredients from pan into a blender and blend on high until you get a sauce texture. Only blend once, I have had a really awful sauce explosion from blending in twice. The pressure gets built up and the top will blow off, I also have had burns. Unfun experience, so only blend once!
Pour the sauce into the pan and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 and it is time to cook shells.
Stuffed Shells:
12 Jumbo shells
1 package of ricotta cheese
1 package of mariniated artichoke hearts
10 black or green olives ( I prefer black)
4 tsps of capers
1 package of frozen spinach chopped
1 egg
S & P
2 cups of parmesan cheese
1 cup of mozzarella.
3 tsp. of pine nuts
1/4 cup of olive oil
basil, use as much as you like. I use about 3 tsp of freshly cut basil, just to give it a taste.
You can add meat (sausage or beef if you want, I don't because I don't eat meat)
Okay, cook the shells, rinse, drain and set aside.
In a mixing bowl beat the egg, then add the ricotta cheese and olive oil. Thaw the spinach in microwave, drain and then add to mix, chop up capers, olives, pine nuts, artichokes, and basil and then add to the mix. Add in 2 cups of parmesan and salt and pepper. Mash it all together until it is thoroughly mixed.
Fill the shells with the mixture, place on top of the sauce in the pan. I like to scoop a little bit of the sauce on top of each shell and then cover with the 1 cup of mozzarella.
Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then uncover and back for 5 minutes.
This is such a yummy dish. Hope you all enjoy it when you need some stuffed shells to make the rainy day all better.
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