fill ‘er up. [stuffed pasta shells w. prosciutto, ricotta & mushrooms]

OK, call me predictable. Prosciutto…again! I wouldn’t dare let the extra meat go to waste though. So, it looks like you’ve got to deal with yet another recipe featuring prosciutto.

I made these stuffed shells on a whim, with ingredients already in the fridge and pantry. The pasta was delectable, with the rich flavor of the mushrooms covered in the creamy ricotta.

Spruce up the homemade marinara sauce with fresh or dried spices from your garden. Greg from Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide explains the process of drying out spices here.

Recipe:

12 jumbo pasta shells

3 tbsp. butter

4 oz. (1 package) Citterio prosciutto, fat trimmed, chopped

2 large shallots, chopped

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, chopped (about 3 cups)

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

3 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Homemade marinara sauce (recipe below)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped prosciutto and shallots and cook until shallots are translucent, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Add chopped mushrooms and cook until tender and juices evaporate, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in ricotta, basil and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour marinara sauce into bottom of 8×8-inch baking dish. Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon mushroom mixture into each pasta shell. Place in prepared dish. Top with grated Parmesan. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.

Transfer shells to plates. Spoon sauce over and sprinkle additional Parmesan on top of shells, if desired. Garnish with fresh or dried parsley. Serve hot.

Recipe from Epicurious.

Marinara sauce recipe:

1 can (28 oz.) San Marzano whole tomatoes, diced

1 can (28 oz.) San Marzano crushed tomatoes

Olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 small sweet onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, plus more to taste

1 tbsp. dried parsley

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent and aromatic, about 3-5 minutes. Do not burn garlic. Add tomatoes, oregano, parsley and salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with extra salt and pepper, if necessary.