Stuffed pasta shells for when you're feelin' fancy (and have some times on your hands)

Why is stuffed pasta so fun? Why is baked pasta always so amazing?  It's a pain in the posterior to make (only in time involved, not skill level), but sometimes you just have to pull on some sweatpants, cue up the Pandora Summer Hits of the 80s playlist, and throw together some

Nicole's Jumbo A-1 Stuffed Pasta Shells

Serves 6

12ounces jumbo pasta shells
1 1⁄4cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (Reserve 1/4 cup)
1cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 lbs ricotta cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten and 2 egg yolks
1 pinch nutmeg
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 8-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts (reserve the liquid)
6 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

olive oil

salt and crushed red pepper flakes
fresh basil, chopped, for garnish

In an 8 quart pot, bring water to a boil and cook shells for 8 minutes or until very al dente. Drain and cool immediately with cold water. Drain and place open side down on paper towels.

In a medium bowl, combine the rest of ingredients except the tomatoes and artichoke hearts. Season with salt. Reserve the 1/4 cup of mozzarella.

Place a thin layer of the liquid from the marinated artichoke hearts plus a generous drizzle of olive oil into the bottom of a 12 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. Preheat oven to 375F.

Spoon the cheese mixture into each pasta shell and place open side up, in a single layer, in prepared pan.
Scatter the artichoke hearts in between the shells and cover everything with overlapping sliced of tomato.  Season with salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Loosely cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

During last 5 minutes of baking, remove foil and sprinkle remaining Mozzarella cheese on top.
Bake 5 more minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped basil.

Pasta and spring things

This dish came about from various little tubs of leftovers; the steamed green beans and asparagus from the garden that had served as a side to grilled steaks, the last bit of yogurt-and-mustard sauce used for dipping grilled potatoes, and some of Alison Roman's glorious savory granola I always keep around. You can make all of these things fresh, or substitute your own steamed veggies and creamy sauce here, and I'm sure it will be glorious. 

Springy Leftover Pasta

Serves 4

4 cups steamed green veggies (peas, asparagus, green beans, broccoli, whatevs)
1/2 pound whole grain farfalle pasta
salt, red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt + 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
garnishes: lemon wedges, a bowl of savory granola or roasted nuts/seeds of your choice (toasted groats would also be good)

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt and mustard. Set aside.

In a well-salted pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to package directions.  If you don't already have steamed veggies on hand, you could throw them in for the last 3-4 minutes of cooking time. Drain pasta and, if you're using leftover veggies, toss together to take the chill off. Season with crushed red pepper, drizzle with some of the yogurt sauce, and garnish with a spritz of lemon and a generous sprinkle or granola. Eat hot or at room temperature.

Green-and-white chili for summer

As a Midwestern girl, I had never touched a roasted green chile until I moved out to Colorado in the early 00s.  I'm not sure I even knew they existed.  Now they are my absolute favorite, and I can't wait until late summer when my local farmer's market is packed with roasters all morning.  The good news is, those frozen bags/tubs at the grocery store are pretty OK, so you can enjoy spicy, fresh stews all summer long. I use a pressure cooker to do my beans, which slows down the process and heats up the house a bit more, but I wrote this recipe for canned beans to be a little more user-friendly. Don't cheat on grilling the chicken, though--it makes a huge difference, especially when your chiles have been frozen! Just plan ahead and do it the next time you have a cookout, then wrap it in foil until you're ready to make this stew; it'll keep for a week. 

Green and White Chili

Serves 6

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

6-8 oz. of grilled chicken (no skin, chopped)

2 15-oz. cans of white beans (any type, do not drain)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper (optional)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 24-oz. bag frozen, chopped green chiles, mild or hot

1 tablespoon lime juice

shredded cheese or queso, lime wedges, sour cream, and more chopped fresh cilantro to serve

First, you must thaw the chiles in the refrigerator and save their liquid; I just toss the whole bag on a plate and throw it in the fridge for a couple of days. 

In a stock pot or Dutch oven,. heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, and cilantro and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant.  Add the cooked chicken, white beans with their liquid, salt, pepper, cumin, chiles, and lime juice, stir, cover, and heat through.  Serve with garnishes listed above and hot fresh tortillas to clean the bowl. 

Covering the rest of the herb garden in food and booze...

Last week I gave you some suggestions for growing and using basil, cilantro, and some other stuff in your herb garden this spring and summer.  Here's the rest of the alphabet...


Parsley
Jalapeno & Parsley Sour Martini
Makes 2

1/2 C sugar
1/2 C water
2 jalapeños, sliced, plus more for garnish
1 small bunch parsley
4 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
6 oz. vodka

Start by slicing jalapeños. If you don't like super spicy and want more of a jalapeño flavor with less kick, definitely remove the seeds.In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the mixture is boiling, throw the jalapeños in and lower to a simmer. Let simmer for about 5-7 minutes. Strain mixture into a bowl and put in fridge to cool.

In a cocktail shaker, add parsley, lemon, and lime. Muddle together. Add ice and pour in vodka and about 4 oz. of the jalapeño syrup. Shake together and pour into a martini glass with a prepared lime-sugar rim if you choose (just rub a lime on the rim and dip glass in a plate of sugar). Add in some jalapeño garnish if you like.

Parsley is also a must in this fast, delish fish piccata.

Sage
The Wise Bee's Knees

Makes 1

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 ounce honey syrup
3 fresh sage leaves
ice

For the syrup, bring equal parts honey and water to a simmer in a small saucepan until honey dissolves. Let cool to room temperature before using.

Combine gin, lemon juice, syrup, and 2 sage leaves in a cocktail shaker and stir to dissolve honey syrup. Fill shaker halfway with ice and shake until thoroughly chilled, about 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Smack the remaining sage leaf between your hands over the glass, drop into the drink and serve.

Try sage in this Italian Rice Casserole, my lazy-girl cheat for risotto!

 

Tarragon
Strawberry Smash with Tarragon
Makes 4

For the tarragon simple syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons tarragon leaves
For the cocktails
10 large strawberries plus 4 for a garnish sliced
1 lime cut into wedges
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup vodka
3 tablespoons tarragon leaves chopped
2 tablespoons tarragon simple syrup

To make the tarragon simple syrup, combine the sugar and water in a small sauce pan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the tarragon leaves, off the heat, and steep for 10 minutes or more. Strain, and store in a glass jar in the fridge.over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the tarragon leaves, off the heat, and steep for 10 minutes or more. Strain, and store in a glass jar in the fridge.

To make the cocktails, combine the strawberries and all but 2 of the lime wedges in an ice-filled shaker. Use a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon to smash the berries and limes into a chunky mixture. Pull out the smashed limes, and then add a couple handfuls of ice, the lime juice, vodka, and tarragon simple syrup. Shake. Pour into ice-filled highballs. Garnish with strawberry slices, a lime wedge, and a sprig of tarragon.

Tarragon is also an essential ingredient in bearnaise sauce, which I make with avocado in this recipe. 

Thyme
Meyer Lemon and Thyme Gimlet 

Makes  2

4 oz gin
1.5 oz Meyer lemon juice
1.5 oz thyme simple syrup
For the thyme simple syrup:
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup sugar
handful thyme sprigs

To make simple syrup, bring sugar, water and thyme to a low simmer in a small pot over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let sit 30 minutes or overnight for a more intense flavor. Strain. Cool.

In a cocktail shaker add ice, gin, meyer lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake well. Pour into two small chilled glasses and garnish with sliced Meyer lemons or zest. Serve immediately.

Thyme is excellent in this red beans and rice recipe (vegetarian or not).