This is easily one of the most decadent recipes that I will ever post. And I’m not going to be humble: It is crazy good. It’s also one of those recipes that you can’t whip up in a flash. (“Oh this? I just threw some things from the cupboard together.”) It’s definitely not one of those kinds of dishes.
You probably imagine that Sam and I eat like kings and queens everyday. And some days we do really well for ourselves and one of us makes a brilliant effort in the kitchen for the other person. But to be honest, some days I eat poppadoms for dinner whilst Sam is at work.
Lemon-Basil Ricotta Stuffed Shells in a Champagne Cream Sauce
A tasty bite packed with flavour.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of ricotta
1 lemon
handful of basil
1 box of jumbo pasta shells
1 cup of Pecorino Romano, shredded
3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
1 clove of garlic
3/4 cup of champagne
1/2 cup of heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Shredding cheese is my arm workout some days.
Instructions:
Butter a large {or two small} baking dish and bring a large pot of water to boil and season generously with kosher salt. Cook the jumbo shell pasta two to three minutes shy of al dente {or shy of the box directions}.
The delicious ricotta filling.
Mean while, chop your basil. Then season the ricotta with the basil, juice of 1 lemon, salt and black pepper. Mix in half of the grated pecorino and set aside.
Drained jumbo shells.
Once the pasta is partially cooked, drain well and spread out onto a rimmed baking sheet or some parchment paper. With a spoon stuff enough shells until the ricotta is gone and place the stuffed shells into the prepared dishes. Discard or save any unused shells for another purpose.
Stuffed shells before the cream sauce is added in.
In a small sauce pan melt three tablespoons of butter, once melted press {or finely minced} in one clove of garlic. Cook until fragrant and soft, but not browned. Whisk in the three tablespoons of flour and cook, while whisking, for a minute. Pour in champagne, still whisk while you pour in the heavy cream. Let bubble {still whisking} until slightly thick 1-2 minutes. Add some fresh ground black pepper, then remove and pour evenly over the stuffed shells. top with remaining romano.
Stuffed shells with a rich, tangy cream sauce.
Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbly. About 20-25 minutes.
You don’t need loads to fill you up because they are so satisfying.
And the best part of cooking with alcohol?
Drinking the leftovers!
