Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

This recipe is from Everyday Italian. We made it last night. It's spicy and cheesy, totally yummy. Giada rated this as "intermediate" - I would agree. It's not that complex, but it is time consuming.

12 ounces (1 box) jumbo pasta shells (approximately 36 shells)
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, diced (I used a 4 oz. package)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes (be careful!)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 jars of marinara sauce (about 52 oz.)
2 (15-ounce) containers ricotta cheese
1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (or 3 tsp. dried parsley)
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves (or 3 tsp. dried basil)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves (I used 1 tsp. dried oregano instead)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Partially cook the pasta shells in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly tender but still quite firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. You will continue cooking the shells in the oven after they have been stuffed. Using a slotted spoon, drain pasta shells and place on waxed paper, spreading them out so that they don't stick together and allow to cool.

Heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring often.

In a medium bowl, stir the ricotta, Parmesan, egg yolks, basil, parsley, mint, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spoon 1 1/4 cups of the sauce over the prepared baking dish (I needed to use two 9x13 pans to fit all the shells, so I poured that amount in the bottom of each pan). Fill the cooked shells with the cheese mixture, about 1 1/2 tablespoons per shell. Arrange the shells in the prepared dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, then sprinkle with the mozzarella.

Bake in the lower third of your oven until the filling is heated through and the top is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Spicy Baked Macaroni

This is a recipe from Everyday Italian. It is vegetarian and spicy - I think Colin will like this one. Although he will probably at least double the red pepper flakes.

1 lb. elbow macaroni pasta
olive oil
salt
1/2 lbs. sliced mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup
1/4 cup grated Romano, plus 1/3 cup
2 tbsp. butter, softened, plus 2 tbsp.
12 oz. (approx. 2 cups) mozzarella, cubed
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni in a large pot of salted water, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat about 3 tbsp. olive oil. Add mushrooms, garlic, and onion. Cook about 7 minutes, then add tomatoes, spinach and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1/4 cup Romano. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with 2 tbsp. butter. Sprinkle half of this mixture inside the baking dish to coat.

In a large bowl, combine the vegetable mixture with the cooked macaroni, cubed mozzarella, 1/3 cup Parmesan, 1/3 cup Romano, and the nutmeg. Spoon into prepared baking dish and top with remaining breadcrumb mixture. Dot top with 2 tbsp. of butter, cut into small pieces. Bake until top is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

Colin's Favorite Recipe

Ingredients
-- Food
-- Sriracha

Directions
-- Add Sriracha to Food
-- Enjoy!

Chile Rellenos (light version)

Warning: This is a non-deep fried version of this recipe.

Ingredients:
2 poblano peppers (leave the stems on!)
2 cloves of garlic, sliced or smashed
6 oz of fake hamburger crumbles or 1 c of black beans
10 cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
cumin to taste
crushed red pepper to taste (for Colin, about 5 cups)
6 oz shredded cheddar cheese
red onion, to garnish
sour cream and salsa, on the side
cooking spray

Roast the peppers. You can start making the filling while the peppers are roasting.

If you have a gas stove, simply lay them on the grate over your burners. Let them get completely black on the bottom before turning. Grasp the stem and rotate the pepper onto a raw side. When the entire pepper is complete blackened, turn off the fire and then place the peppers into zip-top bag or a food storage container. Seal the the peppers into the chosen receptacle and let sit for at least 5 minutes. Take one out, seal the other one back up, and peel the blackened skin off the pepper. It should come of very easily. Wear gloves, put bags on your hands, or hold the pepper with a dishtowel/several paper towels. Poblanos can very greatly in their heat, you never know when you've got a killer one. Cut a T shape into the pepper with the long slit down the length of the pepper and the short slit under towards the top. Scoop out the seeds.

If you don't have a gas stove, put the peppers under your broiler, making sure to rotate them.

Filling: Spray a frying pan, put on medium-high heat, and throw in the garlic. When the pan is hot, add the meat or meat-substitute. Brown the meat and then add the tomatoes. Smash up the tomatoes with your spoon/spatula. Add seasonings. Stir until all cooked up. Fill each pepper with the stuffing and top with cheese. Sprinkle diced red onion on top.

I serve this with a side of summer squash, sliced thin, browned in a pan with cooking spray, and seasoned with cumin. Add salt and pepper after the squash has finished cooking.