Sometimes the best things are not planned.
Actually, sometimes you take the long way to get to the end result.
It was one of those weekends in my kitchen—read: make/test three recipes and two of three fail. That’s right, fail.
Horrible, horrible fail.
It’s alright you’ll roll with it.
You start off by making what is supposed to be a spread of some sort for a charcuterie board.
Well.
Well it ends up coming out not quite spreadable + looking more akin to a lasagna filling.
So what do you do?
It’s 4:30 in the afternoon, daylight’s running out – I shoot only in natural light.
Your patience is gone and in its place you’re now just plain hangry.
Listen, I realize y’all might not know/know about my weekend pastry excursions. A peach Danish + stuffed ham brioche split between this lady and her pooch from hours earlier does not a happy lady make.
What to do?
You put on your big girl panties, hop in the truck + drive as fast as you to the store to get jumbo pasta shells.
Why shells because lasagna is too involved but to boil some pasta shell-like pockets and slappin’ some filling in ‘em—easy.
That’s how we ended up here.
That’s the long short of it…
So it’s a little involved.
Like I said we went around the Matterhorn + back to get here.
But no worries it’s worth the time and I doubt that y’all will spend your entire Saturday getting here.
Here to the most delicious stuffed shells you’ve ever put in your dang face.
Basil Oil
(it’s really just pesto … a little more oil with this one though)
¾ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
½ cup white wine—I used a cheap $3/bottle of Chardonnay, Three Wishes
8 big sprigs of basil, leaves only (I have a basil tree in the yard. . ,)
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
juice from one lemon
Salt to taste
Just frappe all this up in the food processor for about 90 secs to 2 mins until smooth.
Go ahead + set yourself up right by boiling those jumbo shells now.
I am not going to tell y’all how to boil those shells—that’s what the box is for.
I also didn’t use jarred sauce from the store.
I cracked open: two 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes,
¼ white onion, finely chopped.
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 sprigs oregano leaves only, chopped
4 sprigs thyme leaves only, chopped
1 tbsp basil oil
juice from one lemon
salt + pepper to taste
Stir occasionally over medium-high heat for about 15 mins just until the juices reduced by 1/3. I like a chunky sauce–you may not. In a time crunch it’s dang delicious.
Now here’s where things went a little awry.
This ‘spread’ or the recipe for it rather sounded good when I read it–bleary-eyed at 11:30 at night after 5 hrs sleep from the day before.
No. I am not making excuses.
And no. It’s not my recipe–I was digging thru some cookbooks for inspiration.
I subconsciously knew the first time read it that it wasn’t quite right (texture, I knew it) hence my need to add in some personal flair/addition of chevre, criolla sellas, sour cream, basil oil.
It all came about because I was working towards a Sunday spread so dang awesome it would’ve/could’ve blown y’alls minds but c’est le vie.
However this spread/filling ended up being so good you’ll want to eat it without the shells but maybe that was the point in the first place…
The Filling
¾ lb ricotta
¼ lb chevre
4 tbsp sour cream
4 tbsp basil oil
½ white onion, finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 to 3 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced then finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 criolla sella peppers, chopped
a squeeze of lemon
a splash of white wine, yes more white wine. Why not?
salt + pepper to taste.
bacon grease
In a medium mixing bowl combine the ricotta, chevre, sour cream and basil oil. It should be smooth but not whipped like most fillings in this case.
Set aside.
Next, grab y’alls cast iron skillet, a tbsp of bacon grease and toss in the onions, both peppers, zucchini and garlic.
Salt and pepper that mix to taste.
Cover + let sweat for about 6 mins, stirring occasionally.
If you forgot to stir like you should then go ahead and release that fond from the bottom of the pan with a little wine and a squeeze of lemon—should y’all feel the need.
Once the onions, peppers and zucchini are a bit soft (not too soft) remove from heat + allow to cool for a few minutes. Next add the onion squash mixture to the cheese mixture. Mix until well combined. You know, make sure the mix is at least spreadable. . .you may need more basil oil.
Preheat that oven to 350, please and thank you.
Break out the 9x13 baking dish, drizzle some of that basil olive oil along the bottom.
Make sure the bottom is well coated in the basil oil actually.
Now start stuffing those shells–I used a soup spoon, a real soup spoon.
Those soup spoon got to hold at least a tbsp if not more.
Just one heaping spoonful should do.
Now lay those shells down, open side up + keep going until you fill up the pan with stuffed shells.
Ladle the chunky sauce over top.
Wrap in aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 30 mins.
After 30 mins remove foil, grate some Parmesan Reggiano over top and return to the oven for a few minutes to melt/brown the cheese.
I know. I know it sounds like a lot of work but it ain’t.
You just got to roll with it.