Unless I know someone has a specific food allergy, I don't always share what is in the dish I am serving until after they have tasted it. So when someone says 'What's in this?', I usually say 'I will tell you after dinner'. This may sound terribly wicked, but my experience of 'the taste first, tell second' always seems to surprise (in almost always a good way) those who had thought they didn't like something (goat cheese being one of them) or those who didn't think the combination of ingredients would taste good together.
What I love about this recipe is that you can assemble it the night before or earlier in the day. So by time dinner comes all that is left to do is make the salad, cut up some bread, and put the stuffed shells in the oven. While the shells are cooking, you are free to just relax enjoy the appetizers and wine with your friends and not be a slave in the kitchen while everyone else is having fun (not that cooking isn't fun, it's just a different kind of fun grazing and chatting with friends).
I am not a complete purist when I am cooking. Oh yes, I have become a little obsessive about using only fresh eggs (living in a town where many raise chickens and sell their eggs is nirvana) and I love only whole milk ricotta in recipes. However, when it comes to recipes requiring cooked spinach, well this is where I swing to the other end of the continuum and substitute frozen chopped spinach. I don't think I could live without Bird's Eye frozen chopped spinach, and thanks to them I don't have to take the extra step and cook fresh spinach for this recipe. But for those of you who are purists, by all means cook down some fresh spinach for this recipe!
With the weather continuing to be mild, my herbs are still thriving. I don't why it is that I get such a thrill out of going out my back door and going over to the herb garden to cut fresh herbs. Maybe it is because my green thumb is limited to growing herbs or maybe it is because living in the farmhouse I somehow feel I am channeling my inner farm girl. Whatever the reason, the chopped fresh parsley and basil in the filling make it even more flavorful. And other than garlic, I love the taste of fresh basil in pasta dishes with a red sauce base.
All of the filling ingredients are mixed in large bowl. Once you make the filling, you can chill slightly if you would like. If you are not using a pastry bag to fill the shells, chilling makes it a little easier if filling using a spoon. I usually know something is going to be good when the uncooked version of it is also good. I have been known to take a few tastes of this filling when assembling the recipe.
A one pound box of jumbo pasta shells is cooked al dente or for about 7 to 9 minutes. The shells should still retain their shape and are that combination of slightly tender/still firm. The cooked shells are rinsed, drained and then placed on a baking sheet you have added olive to. How much olive oil? About 3 to 4 tablespoons. I like to the rub the shells in the olive oil to ensure they don't dry out while I am filling them as well as to prevent them from sticking together.
The 9 x 12 baking dish is first layered with a little more than a cup of marinara sauce. Then the stuffed shells are placed on top.
I find it easier to fill the shells with a pastry bag. If you don't have a pastry bag, you can you a large ziploc bag and then cut a 1/2 inch off of one of the corners.
Once the shells are filled you pour 3 to 4 cups of marinara over them. The amount of sauce you pour is somewhat of a personal preference. Just be careful not to drown the shells in sauce. The grated mozzarella is layered next, followed by the crumbled goat cheese. I know some of you might be thinking, goat cheese, really? And all I will say is yes, really goat cheese. If you don't trust me, you should trust the source of this inspiration. The four cheese stuffed shells are baked for 30 to 35 minutes or until the cheeses have melted, are lightly browned and the filling is cooked through. Allow the dish to set for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe
Four Cheese Spinach Stuffed Shells (inspired from many sources)
Ingredients
Filling
2 (15 ounce size) containers of whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tablespoons chopped Italian (flat) parsley
3 Tablespoons chopped basil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 large egg yolks
1 box of frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
1 pound box of jumbo shells
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 to 6 ounces of goat cheese
Marinara Sauce
(homemade or jarred. For jarred I love Rao's Marinara Sauce for its' taste and convenience. Recommend using the 2 pound jar.)
Directions
1. Cook pasta shells in large pot of boiling salted water until slightly tender but still firm (about 7 to 9 minutes).2. Drain pasta shells and place on an olive oiled baking sheet. Toss shells in olive oil so they don't stick together. Cool slightly.
3. Combine all filling ingredients and set aside.
4. On the bottom of 9 x 12 baking dish, spoon 1 1/4 cups of marinara sauce on the bottom.
5. Using a pastry bag or tablespoon, fill each of the shells with the filling and place on top of sauce.
6. Top finished stuffed shells with 3 to 4 cups of marinara sauce over the top of the shells.
7. Sprinkle grated mozzarella followed by crumbled goat cheese.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until top is lightly browned and filling in shells is cooked through.
9. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Note: The dish can be assembled the day before or earlier in the day. Cover with plastic wrap and keep chilled until ready to cook. If chilled overnight, allow to sit out at least 30 minutes before baking.
I have packing to do and all I want to do is try to capture some of the colors and images of a New England autumn. And even though the weather wasn't cooperative this past weekend (rainy, gray and gloomy), I found other things to distract my attention from the task of packing. I have convinced myself I can get it all done in two days. An since I invited the couple who own the farmhouse I have been living in for dinner this week, I can't possibly start packing (who knows what dishes, napkins, glassware pots, and pans I will need). Maybe having a midweek dinner party was a subliminal delay tactic on my part but I wanted to make a meal for the two people who have 'taken care' of me (so to speak) over the last fifteen months. For me, there is something so much more personal about making a meal than in taking someone out to dinner (and I live in a one restaurant town with a pretty good restaurant) to thank them for a kindness.
And I have been the recipient of a great many kindnesses from this couple (who are in their 80s and who I consider to be some of the hardest working people I know). The portion of their property my house sits on is about two acres. I can't even tell you how many acres their house sits on. But let's just say many many. And at least once a week and sometimes twice from spring through fall, Walter cuts the grass for both houses. While I have been spoiled by not having to do this yardwork (other than keeping all of my flower and herb beds weed free and mulched), I have felt just a little guilty that this work was being done for me. Throughout the seasons, I would often come home to find some freshly picked berries or vegetables on my back table. And sometimes there would even be a jar of freshly made preserves or a bouquet of flowers from their garden. These would have been left for me by Norma. And the timing of these 'gifts' was almost always uncannily perfect.
In my lifetime I have not lived anywhere where these regular kindnesses were given to me, particularly without the expectation of anything in return. Unbeknownst to them, these simple kindnesses have nurtured my sometimes wounded spirit and brought me great joy. And even though I too have tried to give back, inviting them to dinner in the house that Walter's father built 83 years ago in my last week living in this house is not only what I need to do, it is what I want to do. And compared to all that I have received, it is still only a small, simple gesture of my appreciation both to and for them.
