My husband, Martin, arrived home after a long bike commute from work and announced he was hungry for protein and carbs. Well. That rejects the beet salad I had been making for supper! I left the beets on the stove to finish steaming and began to search through my cupboards for something that fit his needs. As much as I try to plan meals in advance, I never know what my body (or my husband’s body) is going to crave. Usually, the meals I just make up as I go turn out the best. Since Martin’s favorite food is macaroni and cheese, and that happens to be high in protein and carbs, I decided to let that dish inspire me.
We have a plethora of cheese at our house right now. For this recipe, I decided to choose cheese that would melt really well. The mozzarella I used was not fresh, but it was still delicious. I think fresh mozzarella might have been a little too liquidy for this dish. I also used white cheddar with ramps. I had never heard of ramps before I received this cheese from our CSA but wow! Ramps do wonders for white cheddar (and that’s a good thing too I liked it since I hear it was a good season for ramps). Ramps are similar to leeks and have a nice onion-garlicy flavor. They do have a short growing season, so fortunately, we can enjoy them for a longer period of time when they are included in cheese.
Stuffing the shells is an arduous process. But don’t skip it! Martin, in his ravenous hunger, dumped the shells onto a plate and poured the sauce over them. He ended up eating spoonfulls of sauce in one bite and naked shells in another. Not fun. I stuffed my shells and the dish was fabulous! Martin ended up stuffing his shells after realizing his folly.
I admit, I have no idea what to call this recipe. It is cheesy, creamy, tomatoey goodness stuffed into jumbo pasta shells. But I just have too many adjectives and not enough nouns for this recipe title.
What would you name this recipe?
Creamy Tomato Sauce for Pasta
2014-10-11 14:36:02
Serves 4
Satisfy your cheese craving with this richly satisfying pasta sauce.
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Total Time
30 min
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
250g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 634
Calories from Fat 235
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 27g
41%
Saturated Fat 14g
71%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 9g
Cholesterol 74mg
25%
Sodium 462mg
19%
Total Carbohydrates 72g
24%
Dietary Fiber 5g
19%
Sugars 5g
Protein 26g
Vitamin A
17%
Vitamin C
16%
Calcium
47%
Iron
21%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces jumbo shells pasta
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 small onion, minced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 15 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 1/4 cup shredded white cheddar
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the jumbo shells and cook until al dente. Do not over cook; shells need to be somewhat firm to hold the sauce. Reserve about a 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain well.
- In a small saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and bask in the best aroma ever! Cook for a few minutes, then add the canned tomatoes, oregano, basil, parsley, and pepper. Let simmer for about 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has cooked away.
- Stir in the shredded cheese and heavy whipping cream. Stir well until cheese is melted. Add some of the reserved pasta water to thin sauce if you'd like.
- To serve, carefully pour about 1 tablespoon of the sauce into a pasta shell and place shell on a plate. Repeat for remaining pasta shells. Pour remaining pasta over all the stuffed shells. Garnish with dried parsley.
Craving Sustenance https://www.cravingsustenance.com/
You make me sound so tyrannical.