Recipe for Latin American Pasta Shells Marinara 
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Yield:
4
Ingredients:
Amount Ingredient
8 oz jumbo pasta shells, (16 shells)
----------------- MARINARA SAUCE ----------------
2 lb Roma tomatoes
1 tsp light olive oil
with a dash of toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced carrot
1/3 cup diced celery
2 x cloves garlic, crushed
peeled and chopped
1/4 tsp freshly ground sea salt or salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 sprg fresh oregano
----------------- FILLING ----------------
2 cup cooked small white beans
1 tsp light olive oil
with a dash of toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms
stems removed and chopped
Reserved marinara vegetables
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tbl freshly squeezed lemon juice
----------------- VEGETABLE ----------------
1 lb fresh spinach, washed
and stems removed
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp freshly ground sea salt or salt
2 tbl freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp arrowroot
mixed with 2 tsp. water, (slurry)
Instructions:
Instructions: MAKES 4 SERVINGS. LACTO

This pasta-shell filling doesnt rely on the usual cheese. Instead, white beans and shiitake mushrooms add flavor instead of fat.

Cook past shells according to package directions until barely al dente. Drain: rinse in cold water.

Marinara sauce: Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Make a small incision with a knife in stem end of each tomato; blanch 30 seconds in boiling water. Drain; transfer to bowl of ice water. Slip off skins. Place tomatoes in a large sealable plastic bag; press down gently until they squash somewhat.

(Do not mash completely.)

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; saute onion, carrots, celery and garlic 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, salt, pepper and oregano. Cover: cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat and strain, pressing vegetables to extract juices

(do not crush). Reserve pressed vegetables for filling.

Yields 2 cups sauce.

Filling: Puree 1 1/2 cups beans in a food processor until creamy. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; saute onion and mushrooms 5 minutes. Stir in pureed beans, reserved marinara vegetables and remaining cup whole beans.

Season with cayenne, cumin and lemon juice. Remove from heat; set aside.

Shells: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour marinara sauce into 9- by 9-inch baking pan. Fill each cooked shell with 1 heaping tablespoon filling. Arrange shells in pan; bake 30 minutes uncovered.

Vegetable: Just before shells are finished baking, toss spinach with cardamom and salt. Pour lemon juice into a high-sided skillet over medium heat; cook spinach until limp, about 3 minutes.

To serve: Arrange a bed of spinach on each serving plate; top with 4 shells.

Pour sauce from baking dish into a small saucepan. Stir in slurry; bring to boil. Stir until thickened and clear, about 30 seconds. Pour thickened sauce over pasta and spinach. Garnish with cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

HELPFUL HINT: When you make marinara sauce, make a double or triple recipe.

Dip out 2 1/2 cups per recipe before straining. Freeze in quart-size resealable plastic bags. Use within 6 months.

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