Passing the Torch

Nothing makes me happier than cooking for my kids. Well, it's not so much the cooking as it is watching them enjoy what I cooked for them. Each has his favorites, but at least two out of three (maybe the third, not sure) like my stuffed shells best. I don't think I've ever written down the recipe before, although I did tell my oldest son how to make it once; he made it for a work potluck and said it was "the belle of the ball." That made me happy too.

Today my son's girlfriend asked for my stuffed shells recipe. I tend to be a "little bit of this and a pinch of that" kind of cook, especially for meals I make frequently. She wanted to surprise my son with it after work because, she said, it is his favorite. She's right; as tall and skinny as that kid is, he can pack away some pasta! It delighted me that she would ask for my recipe rather than just looking one up online. It wasn't just stuffed shells that she recognized as my son's favorite; it was my stuffed shells. She sent me a picture of the finished dish and told me it was delicious and my son loved it, followed by a sweet thank you and little heart emojis. I'm not sure why that makes me as happy as it does -- but it does. I'll give you the recipe here (I don't think I have before). Enjoy!

Stuffed Shells

1 box large pasta shells, uncooked

1 can or jar spaghetti sauce

2 eggs

16 oz. ricotta cheese (I use part-skim)

8 oz. Italian cheese (I like the 6-cheese Italian, but mozzarella works fine too)

Dash freshly ground black pepper

Dash nutmeg

(Optional: chopped mushrooms or other veggies)

Note: There are other ways to prepare this, but stuffing cooked shells is a big pain! If you add water to the sauce (see below) and cover tightly with foil, the sauce will steam-cook the shells and the water will cook off.

Doctor up the sauce if you want. I usually add about a half-cup red wine, some garlic, and a little basil. Let the flavors blend over low heat for a half hour or more. Preheat oven to 375.

Gently mix ricotta, Italian cheese (reserve about ¼ cup to sprinkle on top), eggs, black pepper, and nutmeg.

Remove and refrigerate about ¾ cup of the sauce to serve on the side. Add about one cup of water to remaining sauce in pan and blend well. Pour just enough sauce into the baking dish to cover the bottom.

Fill uncooked shells with cheese mixture and place in rows over the sauce in the baking dish. Cover shells with remaining sauce from pan and cover everything tightly with foil. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and top with ¼ cup reserved Italian cheese. Return to oven, uncovered, for about ten minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with additional sauce and parmesan cheese.