Stuffed Shells

Stuffed Shells with a Twist

Pasta makes me happy. Here we lighten the dish with lemon zest and yogurt in the filling and finish with a drizzle of Balsamic vinegar.

Quick Sauce

• 28 oz tomato puree (use a good brand)
• 1 handful basil leaves (torn)
• 1 rind Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)

Filling

• 3/4 cup ricotta
• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp minced celery leaves

Shells

• 14-16 jumbo shells (or as many as will fit in the baking dish)

Topping

• 3-4 oz mozzarella cheese (grated)
• 2 oz Romano cheese (or Parmesan, grated fine)

Garnish

• minced celery leaves
• Balsamic vinegar

1. Get all the ingredients together. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
   
   
2. Add all the ingredients for the sauce and simmer while you prepare the shells.
3. Combine all the ingredients for the filling and stir well.
4. Boil the shells in salted water for 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
5. Ladle sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.
6. Add as many shells as will fit.
7. Fill the shells with a heaping teaspoon of the ricotta-yogurt mixture.
8. Ladle sauce on top of the stuffed shells.
9. Grate the mozzarella cheese. Add the grated mozzarella over the top.
10. Add the finally grated Romano over the top.
11. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Rotate the dish after 15 minutes if your oven has hot spots like mine.
12. Garnish with a drizzle of Balsamic vinegar over the dish and sprinkle finely minced celery leaves, or parsley, on top.
    
    
13. Let cool, covered with foil for 20 minutes. Slice and serve.

Hot and Sour Soup and Sesame Noodles

The Lonely Guy Cooks Chinese

Hot and Sour Soup: The heat comes from white pepper and the sour comes from rice wine vinegar.

Sesame Noodles: The taste comes from sesame oil, roasted sesame seeds and peanut butter. I got the basic idea for this recipe from reading other ones. Once I got the general idea, I developed this - and no doubt nontraditional - recipe.

The soup can be assembled quickly. Do that first.

Hot and Sour Soup

32 oz vegetable or chicken stock
4 oz sliced shiitake mushrooms
4 oz sliced cremini mushrooms (sometimes labeled "baby bellas")
1 handful of soybean sprouts - fresh if possible or from a can, drained and rinsed
1 handful of finely sliced scallions
6-8 oz firm tofu cut into rectangular strips
1/4 - 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
Chili flakes as desired - start with a good pinch
White pepper as desired - try 2 teaspoons for starters
2 tbsp Soy sauce for color and saltiness
1 large beaten egg
2 tablespoons cornstarch and water made into a slurry at the last moment

Get all the ingredients in a pot except for the egg and the cornstarch. Bring to a simmer.

Slowly drizzle in the beaten egg while stirring the soup.

Once the soup returns to a simmer, slowly drizzle in the cornstarch slurry while stirring well.

Taste. Add soy for more saltiness. Add white pepper for more heat. Add more vinegar if desired.

Simmer slowly. 





Note that this recipe can be vegan if the egg is eliminated.

Sesame Noodles

8 oz lo mien noodles, fresh if possible - or spaghetti
1 round tablespoon of creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon sriracha chili sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 pinch of sugar
Hot cooking water as needed to thin the sauce
Roasted sesame seeds, sliced scallions, bean sprouts for garnish

I am amazed at the thickening power of peanut butter. I probably added 5-6 tablespoons of cooking water to get a sauce with a syrup-like consistency.

Slowly warm the peanut butter, sesame oil, ginger, chili sauce, vinegar and sugar. Add water as needed while warming to get a syrup-like consistency. Taste. Adjust the ingredients as desired.

Cook the noodles or pasta according to package directions. Add the noodles to the pan with the sauce. Stir and toss. 

Plate and garnish with roasted sesame seeds, scallions and sprouts.



Fresh bean sprouts, shiitakes, lo mien noodles and roasted sesame seeds might not be available in the local supermarket. I have a Korean market near me that also has Chinese, Thai and Japanese products. I will bet that a local gourmet market would have these ingredients as well.

Substitutions? Any mushroom will do. No lo mien? Spaghetti or vermicelli pasta will work. Worst case scenario with the sesame seeds is you buy the raw ones and toast them in a dry pan. No rice wine vinegar? One tablespoon of white vinegar will substitute. No fresh sprouts? There are the La Choy sprouts in a can, but I can't recommend them.

These recipes were a lesson in flavors and balance of flavors. As far as enjoyment, I am a hot and sour soup junkie. Now I can make it at home.

The sesame noodles... well, when I keep shoveling the grub into my pie-hole, I know I have a winner!

Homemade Pappardelle

There is nothing like fresh pasta. The techniques in this recipe go back hundreds of years. The pasta dough itself can be used for fettuccine or ravioli as well.

A little less than 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup semolina flour, plus more for dusting
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Grated cheese
Parsley

Make the dough. Sift both flours together on a large work surface and make a well in the center. Place the eggs, olive oil and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then pour into the well; with a fork, break up the eggs, then gradually mix the wet ingredients into the flour mixture just until combined.

 


Knead by hand. Gather the dough into a ball; flour the surface.

To knead, push the dough away from you with the heel of your hand, fold the dough over itself and turn it 90 degrees (1/4 turn). Continue pushing, folding and turning the dough for 5 minutes.

Rest the dough. Wrap in plastic and set out for 30 minutes - or overnight in the fridge.

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin on a large work surface. (I have to use my kitchen table). Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and dust with flour. Roll the dough from the center towards the edge in all directions. The dough should be see-through thin. If it is sticking, dust the dough and the work surface with more flour.

Trim the sheet of dough with your knife or pizza cutter into a rectangle.

 

Loosely roll up the dough and cut into 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices. Unroll the noodles and dust with the semolina to prevent them from sticking together. Set aside on a sheet tray and cover with a kitchen towel until ready to cook.



Now, you can make the sauce or use a quality store-bought vodka sauce. Heat it up in a sauce pan. Rao's is a good brand. Or, your favorite marinara with enough light cream to make a pink sauce.

Cook the fresh pasta in a gallon of boiling, salted water for 3-4 minutes.

Drain. Stir the pasta into the sauce.

Serve and garnish with Romano cheese and chopped parsley.