Stuffed Alfredo Shells and Garlic Bread

This is by far one my favorite recipes for stuffed shells. You know this recipe is good, because the stuffing is good on its own and doesn't need to add anything else to it. So why do it? Well it adds to the deliciousness of it, but I think if you put it on a soft shell or over rice it would be fantastic as well.

This recipe comes from food network, and I am sure if you make the homemade sauce it would be delightful. However, I didn't really have the time to make the sauce so I uses a ready made glass jar of four cheese Alfredo. Use the brand of your choice. I find that although following a recipe to the T is fun and adventurous, but when you know what you like...go with that. Now I am not saying not to try anything new...you can try it, but hey if you don't love it keep moving.

Also instead of ricotta cheese I use 8 oz of Feta and 8 oz of Gorgonzola. When we first made this I couldn't find the ricotta cheese, such made me stumble upon this modification. The second time we made it per the recipe, we prefer the modification. No offense to food network, but the modification made it a smoother cheesy taste (which we enjoy). So play with it see what you prefer. FYI if you are looking for the ricotta cheese it is over by the sour cream in the grocery store.

Also some other shortcuts...we used canned chicken instead of frying it up in the pan and we sauteed about a small container full of button mushrooms. We also used spinach instead of arugula, both added a zesty taste to the pasta. The recipe calls for 6 jumbo shells,  we ended up using medium shells for a lack personal understanding of different types of pasta. However using the medium shells produced a lot more pasta. So if you are cooking for a large gallery of people, shoot for the medium shells instead of the large!

Accompany this pasta dish, I got a sourdough loaf of bread from the local grocery store and made garlic rosemary bread. I chopped up about 3 cloves of garlic really finely and place a dash in a frying pan. Got the pan nice and hot, added the finely chopped garlic. I cooked it until it was nice and cooked through but not browned or burnt. Than I used rosemary from the spice bottle and chopped about a hefty pinch worth to a smaller size and then added the rosemary to the garlic. Now once you do this, the rosemary will take up any liquid in the pan so add about 4 tbsp of butter and let it all simmer together. If you are making this for a large group add more butter. I let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes and the placed it in a bowl and then into the freezer ( I put it in the freezer because this was the last thing I made, and i wanted it to harden). You could make this ahead of time and just put it back in the fridge, either way. So I put the loaf into the oven, heated it up and then when everything was ready to go, took the bread out sliced it up and then add the butter. It was perfect!

What is your go to pasta recipe?

Stuffed Shells with Chicken and Arugula and Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients



Garlic Bread



6 jumbo pasta shells (conchiglioni)

Filling:

• 2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups arugula
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken works well)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

After Baking

Sauce:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 1 cup grape tomato halved
• Italian parsley for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil add the pasta shells and cook for approximately 9 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water being careful not to break the shells. Set aside.

Meanwhile prepare the filling. In a large bowl mix together the ricotta and Parmesan. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook 1 minute, being careful not to brown it. Stir in the arugula until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped chicken and stir well. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Add chicken mixture to cheese mixture and stir carefully. Stuff each shell with approximately 1/2 cup of the cheese filling and place in prepared baking dish.

For sauce, heat the butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant but not brown. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the cream and milk and whisk until mixture begins to thicken and bubble. Remove from heat and add the chives, 1 cup Parmesan, cherry tomatoes and stir gently. Pour sauce over shells and sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and cheese is golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley.

FNK notes: recipe makes too much filling

YUM!!

Happy Cooking!