Better-Than-Classic Stuffed Shells

Courtesy of Julie Lindstrom
Makes 24 shells

24 dried jumbo pasta shells
2 cup ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella or pizza cheese
2 eggs
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 or 3 garlic cloves, pressed
Salt and pepper
1 jar spaghetti sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, to al dente. Drain and reserve shells.
3. Mix ricotta, mozzarella, eggs, spinach and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Evenly spread about 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish.
5. Spoon ricotta mixture evenly among them, about 1 heaping tablespoons each.
6. Lay the shells side by side, open side up, in the dish. Spoon remaining spaghetti sauce over top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over the marinara sauce.
7. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis (“Everyday Italian,” Food Network)
Makes one 9x13 pan

* 2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
* 2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
* 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced large
* 1 onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
* 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
* 2T extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 teaspoon salt, divided
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
* 2 tablespoons dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
* 1/2 pound penne pasta
* 3 cups really good marinara sauce
* 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
* 1 cup grated mozzarella
* grated Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

2. On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Drain.

4. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Add the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

4. Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the cheeses. After the pasta has been in the oven for 10 minutes, turn the temperature down to 375 degrees F. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

Spinach Basil Pesto

Courtesy of AllRecipes.com

• 1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup toasted almonds
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• extra-virgin olive oil as needed

Blend the spinach, basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice and lemon zest in a food processor until nearly smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary. Add 1 tsp of olive oil per serving, and water as needed until pesto is the desired consistency.

Notes:
-- Original recipe called for 1/2 cup of olive oil.
-- Original recipes suggests freezing the pesto in ice cube trays so you can use it for single servings later. I just put blobs on a cookie sheet, put the in the freezer until the were solid, and the moved them to a plastic bag.