Name: Sauce: Lemon Basil Ricotta Stuffed Shells in a Champagne Cream
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 box jumbo shells (you won't use them all but some may break in the cooking process); 1½ cups lemon basil ricotta; 1 cup pecorino romano (grated on the largest holes of a box grater); 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter; 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour; 1 clove fresh garlic; 3/4 cup champagne; 1/2 cup heavy cream; pinch kosher salt (more or less to taste); black pepper (to taste)

Can you EVEN believe I almost forgot to share with you this savory baked pasta recipe?

It was back in November when I made this pasta and I remember the day perfectly…

It was real sunny. My hair in a scrunchy, the stretchy grey comfy-pants are on, I was completely rocking the whole I-don’t-give-a-care-what-I-look-like-it’s-my-day-off look like nobody’s business. I’d once again put laundry on the back burner that afternoon (who has time for THAT?), turned on a little Florence and the Machine, opened the fridge to get the creamer for my coffee and then I spied the champagne and then… the cream. I squinted at the cream… then back to the champagne… then back to the cream… then, well you get the point.

POW (that’s the exact sound it makes in my brain when a recipe happens)! Thanks to one-too-many aired Olive Garden commercials advertising some pasta dish with champagne cream sauce and of course a huge THANKS to that left over lemon and basil ricotta, because at that quite second it dawned on me; PRC… pasta, ricotta, champagne cream sauce! Not only was it fun to make… but a little messy, messy and I got to sip on a lot little bubbly while I was cooking. It was only 12:30-ish… it felt reliable.

To cook this Lemon and basil ricotta stuffed shells Set out:

jumbo shells
lemon basil ricotta
pecorino romano
unsalted butter
unbleached all-purpose flour
garlic
champagne
heavy cream
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Please don’t think I ran out and bought champagne. Oh no-no! I have had it in my fridge for two freeeeaking years! My friend Heidi left it two (maybe it’s truly been three years?) New Year’s Eves ago! Wait. Does champagne go bad??

Butter a baking dish and set aside.

On the large holes of your box grater; shred 1 cup of Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese.

Season 1 and 1/2 cups of lemon basil ricotta with a little extra salt and pepper if you haven’t already.

Combine the ricotta with 1/2 cup of Pecorino Romano and set aside.

And then measure out 3/4 cup of champagne.

Next, cook 1 box of jumbo pasta only short of al dente in salted water. You most likely won’t use them all but some may stick and/or break in the cooking process.

Then drain and spread them out onto a rimmed sheet pan or some parchment paper.

Next, use spoon to stuff each shell with some of the cheese and place them in your prepared dish.

Then in a small sauce pan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter and add 1 to 2 cloves finely minced garlic. I pressed mine in with a garlic press, it saves SO much time.

Next, whisk until the garlic softens and is fragrant but not brown.

Then add in 3 tablespoons flour and whisk, whisk, whisk until it is absorbed. Cook the flour mixture for a minute.

Next pour in the champagne…

Then add in 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Whisk, whisk, whisk some more.

Next, season with fresh ground black pepper.

And then pour it over the stuffed shells.

Next, top with the remaining Pecorino Romano and place in a 350° oven until the cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling. I didn’t write how long I baked this for, sorry bout that. If I had to guess it was 20-25 minutes.

Finally, remove and let the ricotta stuffed shells cool a bit before serving. Sometimes all one needs is a little pasta, a little cream sauce and a glass of champagne in the middle of the afternoon to make’em feel reliable.