Spinach and ricotta stuffed shells

When my daughter was young I used to make this dish a lot. It's a great meal to make ahead and freeze. it's also a great vegetarian option if you are having a buffet or a party.

For some reason the shells themselves became hard to find. So I stopped making it. I use the same filling in cannelloni but cannelloni doesn't go as far as when it's in the shells.

Anyway I found a version of them at Harris Farm Markets the other day and they were two bags for$6.
Considering each bag makes 2 trays or enough to feed about 6 people that's still pretty good value.

I don't usually price food out on this blog but this is a great dish for a party or for feeding lots of people cheaply.

Here's how I'd do it for entertaining a group:

1 wheel of ricotta $8.99
2 bags pasta $6
3 boxes frozen spinach $2.70
1 bag shredded mozzarella $5
1 bag shredded Parmesan $4
2 eggs $1
herbs & garlic
Spaghetti sauce 4 jars or big batch homemade $4

Total: About $32 that would feed 24 people, maybe more...or $1.33 a serve. Add some bread and salad and that is some bargain entertaining.

I happened to buy silver beet fresh and use that this time but that's more work and I wouldn't do that for a group.

Spinach and ricotta stuffed shells
1 bunch silver beet, stems removed and finely chopped
1 500g bag pasta shells
500g ricotta
1 cup Parmesan
2 garlic cloves
1 onion diced
teaspoon mixed/Italian herbs
1 egg
2 jars spaghetti sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
2 baking dishes lightly sprayed with oil.(I used one regular and a foil one to freeze the second batch)

1. Place silver beet, garlic, herbs and olive oil in a large sauce pan and stir fry till wilted.
2. Combine ricotta, egg and Parmesan in a large bowl. Stir in wilted silver beet.
3. Spoon ricotta mix into shells and place filled shells in a single layer in baking dishes.

4. Put spaghetti sauce in large saucepan and dilute by rinsing jars with hot water to get all sauce out. When warm pour over shells. You want the shells submerged.
5. Sprinkle with mozzarella. (can be frozen at this point).
6. Bake in a moderate oven 30-40 minutes. (You can tell it's done when you can stab a knife through the shells).
7. Serve with a nice salad.

Enjoy!

Open topped ratatouille pie

This is a recipe I adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly pies and tarts cookbook which doesn't seem to be in publication any longer. I know I have had my copy for at least ten years but it was published in 1999.

Regardless I didn't follow their recipe exactly, more the spirit of it. Basically I had Japanese eggplant,  a red capsicum, zucchini and cherry tomatoes I needed to use up so I decided a ratatouille of some sort was in order so I made that up and then I went in search of some pastry.

This recipe  as is is vegetarian. We didn't, but you could easily add some bacon to the mix or even some mozzarella on top for a more pizza-like pie.

Open topped ratatouille pie.

Ratatouille/Filling
6 Japanese eggplant or 1 large eggplant diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup mushrooms, quartered
1 zucchini chopped
1 red capsicum/pepper
1 green capsicum
1 cup cherry tomato
1/2 onion chopped
1 120g tin tomato paste
1 tin diced tomato
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or mixed herbs)

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add eggplant, onion, garlic, capsicums, mushrooms, herbs and saute about 10 minutes. (I like my eggplant and peppers to char/blacken a little).
2. Add zucchini and cherry tomato and cook another 2 minutes.
3. Add tomato paste and brown off. Then add tinned tomatoes and water. Leave to simmer while you make pastry.

Before the tomato was added

Pastry
2 1/4 cups plain flour
200g cold butter
3 egg yolks (reserve 1)
2 tablespoons approx, cold water.
poppy seeds for decoration
1. Add flour and butter to a food processor and process. Add 2 egg yolks and enough cold water for the pastry to come together in a ball.
(You can do this by hand. First rub butter into flour and then add yolks and water till pastry combines).
2. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 30 minutes.

To assemble
1.Roll pastry into large circle. Can be rustic/uneven.
2. Lift into greased pie plate allowing a large over-hang.
3. Fill with ratatouille. Then fold pastry over the top leaving a hole in the centre.
4. Brush with egg yolk, sprinkle with poppy seeds and bake in hot oven 40 minutes.

Enjoy!