Stuffed pasta shells

Ingredients

Pasta shells ( conchiglioni rigati) – 15 number

Tomato pasta sauce – 350 ml bottle ( you can make your own by roasting some tomatoes and garlic in the oven for 30-45 mins and pureeing it )

Onion – 1 ( finely chopped)

Garlic – 2 cloves

Celerey stick – 1 thinly chopped ( optional)

Italian seasonings (oregano/basil) – ¾ tsp

Salt

pepper

Ricotto cheese – 140 gm

Spinach – 150 gm( chopped)

Parmasan cheese – grated( as required)

Olive oil

Method

Precook the pasta shell in salted boiling water as per the package instructions( I cooked for 7 minutes) drain and keep it aside.

In a pan add some olive oil and  saute the chopped onions for few minutes. Add chopped garlic, chopped celery and cook for few more minutes.

Add tomato pasta sauce, salt, pepper, Italian seasoining. Bring it to boil and remove from fire.

In a wide non stick pan add some olive oil and wilt the chopped spinach on medium high heat until water evaporates.

Mix cooked spinach  with ricotto cheese and  add salt.

Take an  oven proof dish , pour the tomato sauce.

Place the pasta shells on tops and fill it with spinach ricotto mixture.

Grate some parmesan cheese on top, making sure that shells are mostly covered ,otherwise shells dries up inside the oven.

Place the dish inside a preheated oven at 170 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Serve hot !

Spinach Cannelloni

During our holidays in Barcelona while me and S were enjoying the Spanish Paella to the core my boy didnt want to even give it a try as it looked so red and to him red means spicy ! But luckily all the Spanish restaurants had some Italian menu as well but all in Spanich though.I went through the menu and saw some thing written Cannelloni espinacho,I guessed it could be sometthing with spinach and cannelloni pasta and we ordered that for him.It took a while for the our order to come thorough but the wait was all worth,Lil A loved it and ate almost 3/4 th of it .I was happy that he didnt finish all of it so that I could taste it as well :) It was a melt in mouth kind of dish...I lovvvved it,we ordered the same dish for him everyday atleast once a day during those 5 days and he never complained ! When I came back I searched for the recipes online and saw a quite a lot and even the cannaloni pasta I got had a recipe on the packet, after going through all of it I came up with one which is not completely adpated from anywhere.I recreated almost the same taste at home and we all love it.I make this often now especially on days when he not in a mood to eat as he never say no to this.

Ingredients (serves 2 -3 )

Cannelloni tubes - 8
Spinach - 1 packet( 250 gm)
Riccotta cheese - 1 tub(250gm) ( Dont worry its not a rich cheese )
Parmasan cheese - 1/2 cup (grated)
Soft cheese - 2-3 tbs( I used low fat Philadelphia)
Onion -1 large
Tomato - 2 large
Oregano -1 tbs
Basil powder - 1 tsp
Garlic - 1 tbs (minced)
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Method
1.Boil the tomatoes ,remove the skin ,make puree and keep it aside.
2. In a pan add olive oil and saute onions till soft and brown.
3.Add minced garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes.

4.Add tomato puree,salt,pepper,oragano,basil powder and cook for 2-3 minutes.

5.Finally add soft cheese and when it starts to boil turn off the heat.
6.Pour half of this sauce on the bottom of a baking dish .
6.In another pan wilt the roughly chopped spinach for 1-2 minutes.
7.When it is cool squeeze the water out of it and mix it with riccotta cheese.

8.Fill the precooked cannaloni tubes with Spinach riccotta mixture and place the tubes on top of sauce in baking dish.

9.Pour the rest of sauce and finally sprinkle the grated paramsan cheese on top of it.
10.Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degree centigarde for 20 minutes.

Anchovy Pasta

It has been a month since I have posted anything here.All these days I was so busy with property search ,I am happy that after a month finally we found one.I have one more month before I move the house,but I have to start cleaning and packing soon.As Soon as I move the house I am flying to India again for my sister's wedding !

Ingredients

Pasta - 250 gm

For sauce

Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Garlic - 1-2 clove
Bottled Anchovy in salt
soft cheese (philadelphia) - 100 gm
Salt
Pepper
Oregano - a pinch

Preparation

Cook pasta in salted water for 12 minutes and drain the water.

In a saucepan add some olive oil,saute onions till soft,add chopped garlic stir for 1-2 minutes,add tomatoes and seasoning.When tomatoes are cooked add anchovy and cheese.Let it boil for 2-3 minutes.Mix the pasta with the sauce and serve hot !

Mussel Pasta

Ingredients

Pasta - 250gm

Fresh mussels - 1 kilo

Onions -1

Garlic clove -1

Tomato -1

Chedddar cheese 1/4 cup or more

Fresh Parsley leaves

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Preparation

Cook the pasta in boling salt water for 5-10 minutes until soft. Drain the water.

Place the mussels in a big saucepan with little water and heat for few minutes until their shells open.Strain their cooking liquid and keep it aside. Allow the mussels to cool down and take the mussels from their shells.

In a saucepan saute onions until soft and transulent, add garlic and stir for few minutes . Add skinned tomatoes and cook well. Add the cooking liquid and cook for few minutes.Finally add mussels,cheese and parsley leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix well. Garnish with mussel shells.