CreamyGooeyCheesy

I've always had a soft creamygooeycheesy spot for stuffed pasta.  One of the first meals I wanted to learn how to make was manicotti.  Or is it cannelloni   Whatever.  As long as it's pasta filled with creamygooeycheesy something, I'm OK with whatever it's called.

And if this whatever it's called is slathered in a rich, creamy sauce...well, just slap my mouth and call me Charley.

Yeah.  I don't know where that came from either.

Then I got on this kick where ricotta wasn't good enough for me and I dumped it like that bag of garbage you all of a sudden notice is totally reeking up the place.

My lasagna is ricotta-less.  Which probably makes little old Italian grannies angry.  (If I haven't already made them angry by not knowing the difference between manicotti and cannelloni.)  As long as the big mean angry ones don't come after me, it's all good.

I make lasagna with pasta, meat sauce, plenty of garlic, and plenty of cheese.  The end.  As God intended.  (As far as I'm concerned.)

But without ricotta what do you do about stuffing pasta?

That's where this chick named Jamie comes in.  She belongs to a cooking forum I (infrequently) frequent.  Jamie passed along this idea she came up with for the most awesome stuffed shells I've ever had.  She based it on a friend's appetizer recipe.  Won tons filled with cream cheese, Italian sausage, and jalapeno.

Cream cheese.  Creamygooeycheesy cream cheese is a great base for a pasta filling.

The sauce is made with white wine, olive oil and some spices.  Not rich and creamy, but it balances the rich creamy filling in the shells perfectly.

I've been wanting to post this recipe for a while.  Because I love these shells.  A new recipe roundup prompted me to get a move on.

Over at The Law Student's Cookbook, this month starts Pantry Party.  Each month a theme will be announced.  In addition to fulfilling the theme, pantry items must be used.  Visit the Pantry Party introduction page for the specifics.  This month is "anything goes."

When I make stuffed shells, it never fails that I have a partial box left.  That partial box gets shoved back in the pantry.  Never to be seen again.  Until after I buy a new box.  When it haha nanynany boo boo appears right in front of my face.  Pantry Party was a good reason to make these shells and de-shell my pantry.

See Ya in the Gumbo potluck is HERE.

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Jamie's Stuffed Shells
(sort of)

About 2 tsp olive oil
5 links Italian sausage, casings removed
1 poblano pepper, chopped
1 leek, washed, sliced lengthwise, then sliced into half moons
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp chopped pickled jalapeno
about 25 large pasta shells, cooked according to package directions (save 3/4 c of the cooking water)

for the sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup white wine
3/4 cup pasta water

Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the Italian sausage   Cook, breaking up with a potato masher.  When the sausage starts to brown and crumble, add the poblano, leek, and garlic.  Saute until sausage is well browned and vegetables are tender.  Deglaze the pan with wine and continue cooking until mixture is almost dry.  Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Add cream cheese, mozzarella, and jalapeno to the sausage mixture.  There is no need to soften the cream cheese if your mixture is still warm.  Mix well.

Preheat oven to 350.

Fill the shells with the mixture. and place in a baking dish.  It will take about 22 shells.  I like to cook a few extra in case of breakage while cooking.

To make the sauce, wipe out your skillet and add olive oil, garlic, and seasonings.  Slowly heat until fragrant. Add the wine and pasta water and increase the heat.  Simmer until the sauce has reduced by about half and thickened.  Por over the shells.

Bake for 20 minutes covered.  Uncover and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes.


Submitting to Pantry Party @ The Law Student's Cookbook



Food On Friday @ Carole's Chatter

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Thursday's Treasures @ Food Done Light