Original Stuffed Shells: With "Sauce"

Yes, we have a stuffed shell repeat. But I think it's fair, because this is really a completely different dish. I made it for the in-laws because it's great for feeding a large group, and because last week at work I asked my co-workers what they were making for Thanksgiving, and they responded, simply: "sauce". Inspired, I had to make sauce, too.

This one takes some time to prepare - from absolute start-to-finish, it took about three hours. I was ever-so-intelligent and neglected to write down the exact proportions, but I think I got it close.

And yes, it is delicious (see Exhibit A)! Another one to be excited about, at least according to young nephew Finn (Exhibit B).

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

There are three main parts: making the sauce, making the filling, and then baking the dish. Two casserole/baking dishes holding a total of 23 shells fed 6 adults and two babies perfectly.

So - first, the sauce.

SAUCE
6-10 baby carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 white onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, sliced lengthwise, then thinly sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 28-oz cans Hunt's tomato sauce
1 28-oz can Hunt's whole tomatoes
1-1.5 lbs cubed beef chuck
White wine
Dried parsley
Salt
Ground black pepper
Olive oil

You'll need a very big pot. Pour a couple/a few tablespoons of olive oil into the pot and turn heat to medium-high. Add the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic to the pot and season with a little salt and ground pepper. Stir around until it starts to get aromatic and soften slightly.

Add the beef to brown it on all sides. Pour in a little white wine and let the alcohol cook off while you brown the meat.

When the meat is browned, add all of your tomatoes/tomato sauce. Crush the whole tomatoes against the sides of the pot with a wooden spoon to break up. Season again as needed with salt and pepper, and sprinkle in a little dried parsley. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer for about 1.5-2 hours, stirring occasionally.

While the sauce is doing its thing, you can make the filling (measures are approximate):

FILLING
1 lb fat-free ricotta cheese (approx)
3/4 of a large brick of mozzarella, grated
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
Salt to taste
A little ground pepper
Light sprinkle or two of nutmeg (a little goes a long way)
Sprinkle of dried parsley

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stir together, set aside in the fridge.

OTHER
3/4 lb jumbo shells
Grated mozzarella for finishing

Preheat the oven to 400. When the sauce is almost done cooking, boil the water to make your shells. When they're ready, rinse them in cool water and drain. Remove the meat from the sauce and set aside in a separate bowl. Take your two baking dishes and ladle in the sauce to cover the bottoms of the pans, then add more (the sauce shouldn't cover the shells when you put them in, but should come up about 3/4 of the way up on the shells). Take each shell and fill it with a spoonful of the ricotta filling, then place it in the sauce in the pan. When the pans are full, place them in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve with the sauce meat on the side. Grate a little mozzarella cheese over the shells to finish. Green beans drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with a little salt and pepper make a nice side. Done!

Stuffed Seafood Shells

I have to say I'm a little bit proud of this one. Not because it was perfect - I think there's room for improvement, and plus I broke a major cooking rule with the combination of cheese and seafood - but because I truly made it up. Not a family recipe, not an improvisation - just made it up. Which, upon reflection, is probably why there was room for improvement - but hey, whatcha gonna do.

This made way more than we could eat. I'd say it'd serve 3-4 people; it does not make for good leftovers. If you have ideas for how to improvise on this, I'm taking suggestions. But overall, my only real hesitation is the ricotta-seafood combo (maybe just the scallops with some other seasoning for the filling? omit ricotta?); it was really pretty tasty.


You'll need:
1 egg
3/4-1 cup fat free ricotta cheese
Salt and pepper
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 lb bay (small) scallops, chopped in food processor
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced or roughly chopped
Olive oil
28 oz can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 lb seafood "medley" (I found a great one, frozen, that had cooked clams, calamari, mussels, shrimp, etc.), defrosted
18-20 jumbo shells

Preheat your oven to 350. In a bowl, combine your ricotta, egg, parsley, and scallops. Mix, then season with salt and a little pepper. Set aside in the fridge.

Meanwhile, get your water boiling and cook your shells. Cook them very al dente - probably a minute or two less than you usually would. When they're done, rinse them briefly in cold water.

Prep an oven dish by drizzling it with olive oil, then add your San Marzano tomatoes. Break them up with a wooden spoon, then add garlic, dried parsley if you want, the fresh tomatoes, and more salt and pepper. Add your seafood medley and stir around a little.

Take each pasta shell and fill it with a spoonful of the ricotta-scallop filling. Place the shell in the oven dish and nestle it in the tomato sauce. Repeat until your dish is full; use a spoon to drizzle some of the sauce over the tops of the shells as well.

Pop the oven dish in the oven and cover with tinfoil; cook for about 30 minutes. Remove the tinfoil, turn oven to 400, and cook another 15 minutes. (The sauce came out kind of liquidy - maybe not using tinfoil would help the sauce thicken. Your call.)

Serve!