Ingredient: jumbo pasta shells

Perogy Stuffed Pasta Shells

These simplified perogy stuffed pasta shells have all the delicious flavor of homemade perogy but without the fuss of making dough! So, when you feel like having perogies but don’t have the time to make them from scratch and don’t have any left in the freezer, these stuffed perogy shells are a great shortcut.

Use the same potato and cheese filling that you use to make homemade perogies, then fill pasta shells with it instead of making pasta dough.

For the perfect finishing touch, top them with onions that have been sautéed in butter. After they come out of the oven garnish the ‘perogies’ with a bit more chopped bacon and green onion. Of course, don’t forget the sour cream (and sausage)!

Perogy dough and pasta dough differ in a few ways but in the name of convenience give pasta shells a try!

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 Perogy Stuffed Pasta Shells
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine European
Keyword perogy stuffed pasta shells
Servings
SHELLS
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine European
Keyword perogy stuffed pasta shells
Servings
SHELLS
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Place the potatoes in a medium pot & cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, add salt to taste & cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.
  2. In another pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta shells according to the package directions. When finished cooking, drain the pasta shells then spread them out on a large baking sheet or tray & allow to cool.
  3. In a skillet, (or the microwave) cook bacon until done but not real crisp. Drain on paper towels & chop fairly small. Set aside. Wipe out skillet then melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions & sauté, stirring occasionally, until they are just starting to turn a light golden brown, about 5 minutes; turn off the heat & set aside.
  4. Chop green onion & grate cheese. When the potatoes are done cooking, drain them & return them to the hot pot; let them sit for a few minutes ( with heat off) to allow the excess moisture to evaporate out.
  5. Place the potatoes in a food processor & add the grated cheese to the potatoes; mash until they are well-combined & smooth. Remove from processor & add bacon, green onion, salt and pepper, combining well by hand. Set aside to cool slightly for a few minutes. Make sure your potato/cheese mixture is well-seasoned with salt & pepper. It shouldn't be salty, just really flavorful.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
  7. Evenly fill the pasta shells with the potato/cheese mixture; place the shells in the prepared baking dish, filling side up. Spoon the onion & butter mixture evenly over the stuffed shells.
  8. Bake, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes or just until heated through. I placed the covered pan of shells over another pan with a small amount of water in it (like a bain marie) to prevent the shells from becoming hard since they do not have a sauce to cook in.
  9. Remove from oven & garnish with more green onion. Serve with sour cream if you wish.

Spinach Gorgonzola Pasta at Gayles

Over the years, Brion and I have vacationed many times in the Carmel / Monterey area on the Central Coast of California. As a rule, we make Pacific Grove ‘home base’ and from there do numerous day trips. On one of these trips, I noticed a brochure advertising a place called Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria. It was in a small beach town called Capitola, about 64 km (40 miles) north of the Monterey Peninsula. We thought we should check it out as it would give us a nice day trip up the coast.

If you’ve ever been to Capitola chances are you’ve eaten at one of the most famous bakeries on the Central Coast. I’m talking about Gayle’s of course. Gayle’s has been an institution in Capitola, California since it opened as a bakery in 1978. It began with 800 square feet, serving 10 items. Five years later, the Rosticceria, an Italian deli with a beautiful rotisserie was added. Today, Gayle’s Bakery is a thriving 10,000-square-foot food emporium serving as a deli, a bakery (that could give any French bakery some pretty stiff competition) and an espresso bar with two successful cookbooks and 180 employees. The food is delicious, it’s clean, extremely well run and, although it’s been open for four decades, it still has a trendy feel.

It’s self-service, so you take a number and then decide what to put on your lunch tray. Once you have received your meal, you can sit indoors at one of the French mosaic ‘earthquake tables’ made from crockery broken in that infamous 1980s quake, or out on the enclosed brick patio. 

We arrived at Gayle’s right around noon. The place was bustling with business. I stood there trying to make a lunch choice and decided on a very ordinary looking spinach-Gorgonzola pasta. It consisted of pasta shells in a creamy sauce streaked with spinach, tangy from three cheeses, with a good hint of fresh garlic. Brion went with a hot ‘bacon & smashed tots breakfast sandwich’ which consisted of bacon, a fried egg, grilled tater tot hashbrowns, American cheese & special sauce served in a ciabatta bun. For dessert we tried a piece of ‘marionberry’ pie. A marionberry is a type of blackberry grown almost exclusively in the Pacific Northwest, which is why a lot of people haven’t heard of it.  It’s a cross between two different blackberries – the Chehalem blackberry and Olallieberry; and it’s named after Marion County in Oregon, where it was first developed in the 1950s. Our choices were just incredibly good, so much so that we made the trip back numerous times during our stay in the area.

That afternoon we explored Capitola with its beautiful beaches and historic and colorful architecture. One of the most recognizable landmarks in Capitola is the Venetian Court. This cluster of brightly painted wooden buildings was constructed in 1928 and later restored after a devastating fire in 1968.

The splashy Venetian Court has been an eccentric mainstay of the Capitola beach scene. Designed in a blend of Mediterranean, Spanish Colonial and Mission Revival style architecture, its parapet walls, arches, balconies, carved doors and gargoyle sculptures are a nod to the Mediterranean city of Venice, from which it takes its name. The intensity of color captures what you might see from a gondola on the Grand Canal.

Rispin, an oil millionaire from Canada, purchased all of Capitola in the 1920s. His imprint forever changed the perception of a rustic Camp Capitola to a flourishing, seaside resort with the new name of Capitola-by-the-Sea. He dreamed of recreating the Italian town of Venice on our West Coast waterfront. The Venetian Court, with its Mediterranean influences, was just one step to making that dream happen. These vibrant condos were designed with an ocean view in mind, stair-stepping up the slope of the beach so each has a picture-perfect perspective on Monterey Bay. The first two rows are privately owned: the remaining units are part of the Capitola Venetian Hotel.

Needless to say, the trip turned out to be much more than what we expected …truly memorable!

I have included a few photos I hope you will enjoy.

  • Gayles Restaurant and the food we enjoyed there
  • Service Counter with hot & cold food
  • Cases of baked goods
  • The Venetian Court
  • The Wharf at Capitola

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 Spinach Gorgonzola Pasta at Gayles
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Lunch
Cuisine American
Keyword spinach gorgonzola pasta
Servings
Ingredients
Gorgonzola Sauce
Pasta
Course Lunch
Cuisine American
Keyword spinach gorgonzola pasta
Servings
Ingredients
Gorgonzola Sauce
Pasta
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Gorgonzola Sauce
  1. In heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat milk until hot but not boiling. Combine flour & butter in another heavy saucepan. Stir over medium heat with wooden spoon or whisk until mixture has gently bubbled for 2 minutes. Be careful not to brown flour.
  2. Add hot milk to flour mixture a little at a time, whisking. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, & simmer, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 6 to 8 minutes. It will look like heavy cream. Add gorgonzola, whisking until smooth. Add nutmeg & pepper. Remove from heat & cool.
Pasta
  1. Cook pasta in salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain.
Assembly/Baking
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  2. In large bowl, combine pasta, gorgonzola sauce, spinach, ricotta, & garlic. Taste & adjust to taste for salt & pepper. Place in 12 x 17-inch casserole dish & top with Parmesan. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until cheese browns a little.
  3. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes, until cheese browns slightly.

Shrimp & Chicken Sausage Pasta Shells

With Christmas right around the corner, pasta meals are an easy quick fix on those busy days leading up to the big day. Stuffed Shells are truly the perfect meal to make ahead of time since you can prepare everything but hold off on baking them until you’re ready to eat.

Stuffed shells are a tasty dish that is usually made with ricotta cheese or other types of cheese inside the pasta shells. Tomato sauce is another common ingredient in the dish. However, there are so many ways to jazz it up and one might be surprised just how many unique ingredients one can put into a shell.

I have always loved stuffed pasta shells and over the years I have stuffed them in every way I could imagine. There are endless variations such as using different cheeses and herbs or making some homemade marinara or sun-dried tomato sauce.

There’s a reason surf and turf is often one of the most desired items on a restaurant menu — it’s because meat and fish are the perfect complement to each other! The light flavor of fish and shellfish is a great addition to the richer, heartier flavor of meat.

Today, I’m combining some shrimp and chicken sausage in my filling and topping it with a nice smoky sun-dried tomato parmesan sauce. Should be good!

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 Shrimp & Chicken Sausage Pasta Shells
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword shrimp & chicken sausage pasta shells
Servings
Ingredients
Pasta / Filling
Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword shrimp & chicken sausage pasta shells
Servings
Ingredients
Pasta / Filling
Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Pasta / Filling
  1. Cook pasta shells in a pot of salted boiling water for about 10-12 minutes. Drain well & lay on a wire rack to keep them from sticking together until ready to fill.
  2. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat. Add onion & mushrooms; sauté until tender & moisture has evaporated from mushrooms. Add chicken sausage & minced garlic. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add wine & cook until sausage is no longer pink about 4-5 minutes more. Drain well & transfer to a large bowl.
  3. Peel & devein shrimp; chop into 1/2-inch pieces. In a small bowl, whisk together broth & flour. Set aside.
  4. In the same skillet, heat remaining 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat. Add shrimp; cook, stirring constantly, until shrimp begins to turn pink. Stir in flour mixture. Add cream, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder & Italian seasoning; stir until thickened. Remove from heat & stir in sausage mixture. Set aside until ready to use.
Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
  1. In a skillet, heat oil. Add onion & cook for 2 minutes until it starts to soften. Add garlic, oregano, thyme, paprika & sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Add vegetable broth; bring to a boil & simmer for 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in cream & parmesan cheese into the sauce. Remove from heat & cool for a few minutes. Pour sauce into food processor & process to a fairly smooth consistency. It will not be completely smooth but that is fine.
Assembly / Baking
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Spread half of the sauce over the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Divide filling between cooked shells. Lay in rows over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over top carefully covering all the shells.
  3. Loosely lay a piece of foil paper over baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until bubbling nicely.

Turkey Stuffed Pasta Shells

I have always favored using ‘conchiglioni’ pasta, the name derives from the Italian word meaning ‘seashells’. Their shape, size and consistency are the perfect vessel for bold, rich fillings and flavorful sauces. Baked pastas, or ‘pastas al forno’ as they are called in Italy, date back to the Renaissance when they were being served at the banquets of nobles.

Over the years, I have stuffed jumbo pasta shells with just about every imaginable filling I could conjure up. To say the least, I love this kind of meal.

Since we are just past ‘turkey season’ and if you are someone who enjoys that festive meal … here’s a new spin on it. Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and gravy all tucked into some pasta shells.

Without a doubt, these shells were even better than I had expected and this recipe made enough that I froze some for another meal. What’s not to like about that?

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 Turkey Stuffed Pasta Shells
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, European
Keyword turkey stuffed pasta shells
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, European
Keyword turkey stuffed pasta shells
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta shells according to package directions for al dente. Drain & set aside.
  2. In a large saucepan, scramble-fry ground turkey with spices until no longer pink.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  4. In a large bowl, combine mozzarella cheese, turkey, stuffing & green onions. In a small bowl, Stir sweet potatoes with chili powder.
  5. Fill each pasta shell with 2 Tbsp stuffing mixture & 2 tsp sweet potato mixture. Combine 1 cup of gravy with any remaining filling & spread on the bottom of a 13" x 9" baking dish. Place filled shells overtop, drizzle with remaining gravy & sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  6. Bake, covered for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Serve with cranberry sauce if you wish.

Pasta Shells with Beef, Artichokes & Roasted Red Pepper

Creating interesting, flavorful meals with the smallest number of ingredients and the least fuss, lets you explore new avenues. Using roasted red pepper puree can do just that. To give an example, spoon some puree on a plate, lay a piece of grilled chicken or fish on top. Next sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs and you’ve got it — stunning and delicious!

Roasting red peppers not only makes them easy to peel but incredibly sweet and flavorful. When pureed, they give an amazing boost of flavor to whatever you choose to use them in.

I’ve always loved stuffed pasta shells, Brion probably not so much, but once in a while it works. Instead of using a pasta sauce in this version, I decided to go with the puree. Since a jar of roasted red peppers is a staple in my pantry, I’m doing a short cut idea. It actually worked out quite well.


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Pasta Shells with Beef, Artichokes & Roasted Red Pepper

Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American, German, Italian

Servings


Ingredients

Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American, German, Italian

Servings


Ingredients

Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!


Instructions
  1. In a large stockpot, boil jumbo shells in salted water for about 15 minutes; drain & rinse under under cold water. While pasta is cooking, stir-fry ground beef & drain on a paper towels; set aside. Add oil & butter to saucepan & saute garlic, onions, mushrooms for about 2-3 minutes. Add chopped red peppers & sun-dried tomatoes; cook another 2-3 minutes.

  2. Cool slightly, transfer to a food processor & process mixture ( you should still have some texture in the peppers when finished). Pour puree back into the skillet; add broth, spices & Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce, combine well. Add a small amount of sauce to ground beef; mix well.

  3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread some sauce mixture over bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Inside of each pasta shell place a piece of drained artichoke; divide beef mixture between the shells.

  4. Stand filled pasta shells, single file on top of sauce. Pour remaining sauce over all & top with grated parmigano-reggiano cheese. Cover with foil & bake about 35-40 minutes.