Artichoke Heart-Stuffed Shells in Ricotta Sauce
This recipe was advertised by Bon Appetit as “A Pasta for Lovers”, and with Valentine’s Day not so long ago (my flowers are miraculously still in bloom) and its development by the brilliant Smitten Kitchen (who captures my heart weekly with her deliciously stunning and witty posts), you would think that this recipe was destined for an ultra-romantic candlelit dinner for two. But since Andreas has an aversion to artichokes and was out of town this weekend (with his magic camera that makes my food look tasty), this “Pasta for Lovers” became pasta for ONE instead. But love was still in the air, as I fell madly for this pasta before I even tasted it, and if you had been in my kitchen smelling the butter as it browned, the onions as they caramelized and melded with a glass of white wine, and the indulgent amount of dairy products as they melted and oozed, you would most certainly be in love too.
The filling is relatively light, but made complex through the little details of browned butter, caramelized onions, parmesan and pecorino, and the texture of artichokes, and the flavors only got better the second day. Each shell is nestled and smothered with a light bechamel sauce strengthened by creamy ricotta and a lemony finish for the most delightful and romantic meal I’ve ever cooked for myself.
Steamed Mussels in White Wine Broth
Mussels were always one of those dishes that I never order at a restaurant because:
- mussels (along with their mollusk-y brethren) seem a tad hoity-toity- give me an order of nachos any day.
- the dish as a whole is a bit unreliable given that its success is largely dependent on how fresh the mussels are, and who really knows how often the restaurant you are currently seated in gets shipments of mussels.
- I have issues with paying for a dish where more than half of its weight in inedible proteinaceous material (a.k.a. the shell), and lets face it, mussel dishes are not the cheapest appetizer item. Yes, I am still at that stage in life where when I eat out, I try to get my money’s worth, which means everything on the plate needs to be edible for under $10.
After sharing an appetizer plate of mussels from Central Kitchen with some friends, I found that steamed mussels are not only TASTY sea-flavored morsels, but that I had underestimated the quantity of edible matter in the bowl because I had not factored in the delicious BROTH that often accompanies steamed mussels. The mussels were served with french fries and as I used last of the fries to sop up some of the rich, flavorful white wine broth, I daydreamed about how when I made this at home, I would also make crusty garlic bread to sop up every last drop of the amazing broth.
Making mussels at home was surprisingly quick and simple.. and to top it all off, I bought more than enough mussels for two for less than half of what we paid at Central Kitchen. Once the mussels are steamed, they taste like sweet seawater and the white wine broth is really bright with freshly squeezed lemon juice. My one criticism would be that the broth flavors were not strong enough, perhaps because once the mussels are cooked and open up, they release some liquid (sea? water?) which dilutes the broth. Next time I will try reducing down the white wine/chicken broth mixture before steaming the mussels for more concentrated flavors to eat with my bread!
Steamed Mussels in White Wine Broth
adapted from Zoe blog
1-2 pounds of mussels, soaked in water for about 15 minutes to let the debris fall to the bottom of the bowl
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, finely minced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish
- Place mussels in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for 20 minutes until all grit and dirt fall to the bottom of the bowl. After that, de-beard the mussels by pulling out the excess vegetation and discard. If any of the mussels are open, discard.
- In a large pot heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Stir in shallots until softened, then garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in white wine, chicken broth and drained mussels.
- Cover pot and steam over medium heat for 8 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Serve immediately with chopped parsley and a few squeezes of lemon juice. Add the 2nd tablespoon of butter at the end.
