spinach & three cheese stuffed shells

Another one of my New Year's resolutions is to add more delicious and satisfying vegetarian dishes to my recipe binder, making it easier for me to plan and prepare meals for our vegetarian friends.

I've been sampling and tweaking vegetarian dishes for several weeks now, and hope to share many of them with you throughout the year. Some are simple dishes like this baked egg dish with spicy sweet potatoes, black beans, manchego and goat cheese, and others are like this one.

We are so blessed to live in Southern California where we have access to abundant Farmer's Markets year round, so it's not difficult to add beautiful salads and vegetable side dishes to a main course . . . but I was in need of more hearty vegetarian main dishes.

It's easy to create pasta dishes with savory red or cream sauces and roasted vegetables, but I thought it would be nice to also have more tailored dishes . . . you know, for special occasions.

One of the new dishes that made it into my binder is spinach and three cheese stuffed shells. Instead of baking them in a large 9 x 13" dish, I bake them in individual ramekins. There's something special about eating from your very own pretty dish.

I love this recipe. It's easy to prepare . . . and delicious. You can serve it family style in a large baking dish . . . or fancy it up, and serve it ramekins. I like to serve these beautiful shells alongside a salad and fresh bread. It's hearty, yet light . . .  which is great, especially if you plan on serving dessert too.

Here's what you'll need . . .

16 jumbo shells (from a 12-oz box)

2 cups marinara sauce (or your favorite red sauce)

1 10-ounce package of frozen leaf spinach, thawed

1  15-ounce container of part-skim ricotta

2  ounces Parmesan, grated (about 1/2 cup)

8  ounces part-skim mozzarella, grated (about 2 cups)

1 egg

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed (optional)

Salt and pepper
Olive oil

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.

Spread the sauce onto the bottom of a large broiler-proof baking dish.

Squeeze the spinach of excess moisture, roughly chop and place in a large bowl.

Stir in the ricotta, Parmesan, 1 cup of the mozzarella, egg, crushed red pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into the shells (about 1/4 cup each) and place on top of the sauce.

Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella (or more, if you like) and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
Bake until the shells are heated through, 10 to 12 minutes. Increase heat to broil. Broil the shells until the cheese begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley, Enjoy!

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lemon pepper pappardelle with arugula & prosciutto ~ dining al fresco

We've had unusually warm weather the last two weeks.

You know, the kind of warm weather that naturally draws you outside.

Well, this beautiful warm weather not only inspired this light and flavorful dish, but it also inspired us to dine al fresco. 

One of my favorite means to transport our dinners outside is by using bread boards.

They're not only a beautiful back drop upon which to serve a meal, but they're functional and ~ if  large enough ~ can support a whole dinner. Perfect.

Two plates. Check.
Forks. Napkins. Check.
Two glasses of ice water, one with lemon. Salt & pepper. Check.
Fresh lemon and parsley. Check.

So with the dining al fresco basics covered, let's talk pasta . . .

Have you heard of Lemon Pepper Pappardelle? 

Lemon Pepper Pappardelle takes pasta to a whole new level.  

Lemon and pepper are infused into the pasta, making it bright and flavorful. 

The pasta itself already has so much flavor that you can eat it with just a drizzle of olive oil, and be quite pleased. 

I felt inspired, however, to add arugula for an additional peppery bite . . . and prosciutto and shaved Parmesan for an even more flavorful meal.  

And it was that . . . flavorful and delicious. 

A perfect al fresco dinner . . .

Ingredients

8 oz package Lemon Pepper Pappardelle

4 slices of Prosciutto

2 heaping cups fresh arugula

fresh shaved Parmesan

6 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (for those that like heat)

 

 

Preparation 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place Prosciutto slices onto a baking sheet, and bake for 8 minutes until crispy.
After cooled, break Prosciutto into small pieces.

Boil pasta according to directions on package. Do not over cook.

Drain pasta and pour into a large shallow bowl. Drizzle olive oil on warm pasta. Toss to coat. 

Squeeze 1/2 of a lemon over pasta. Toss to coat. 

Salt and pepper. Toss.

Add arugula, prosciutto, and crushed red pepper flakes, if you like heat (optional). Toss.
The steam from the pasta will wilt the arugula.

Sprinkle fresh Parmesan shavings over the top. Enjoy!

bon appetit!

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lotsa lemon pasta

I'm often too busy during the week to prepare lunch for myself, but on occasion I have the chance to sit down with my husband on a Saturday afternoon and enjoy a tasty, lite lunch . . . and this pasta dish fits the bill.  It's easy to prepare, and tastes divine ~ especially when paired with fresh focaccia bread.  

You can also dress this dish up with shrimp, scallops, chicken, and/or salty prosciutto or pancetta, for dinner. Yum!  

lotsa lemon pasta

Ingredients
1 7-ounce bag arugula
1 7.5 ounce container crème fraîche
juice of 2 lemons 
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 16-ounce bag fusilli or linguine (or other small pasta)
freshly ground black pepper  
    

 

 

 

Preparation
Roughly chop the arugula and place in a colander.
In a large bowl, stir together the crème fraîche, lemon juice, lemon zest, and half the Parmesan cheese.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente.
Drain the pasta into the colander with the arugula. 
((The hot water will wilt the arugula slightly))
In the large bowl, toss the pasta with the crème fraîche sauce and season to taste with freshly ground pepper.
Garnish with the remaining grated cheese.
Serves 4 to 6

Buon appetito!

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