Meyer Lemon and Squash Stuffed Shells

I got the idea for this dish after I made a wonderfully simple dish of mashed sweet potatoes with meyer lemon juice and a bit of cream, as the squash is similar enough in taste to the sweet potatoes. I also managed to use up several containers of leftovers from previous pasta dishes, and as such, filling quantities are estimates...

Makes about 1 dozen shells

• 12 cooked jumbo pasta shells
• 1 cup cooked squash (I mashed some cubed cooked squash I had, but you could use puree as well)
• 1/2 cup chopped cooked spinach
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 small Meyer lemon, zested and juiced
• Dash nutmeg
• Garlic, basil, salt, pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients (except shells!) and stuff shells. Bake in covered casserole dish 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with more cheese if desired, or a simple lemon-cream sauce.

I made a simple roux with olive oil, flour, wine, lemon juice, basil, garlic and salt that dressed the shells lightly, and actually presented fairly well too!

Layered Savory Pie

“Kind of like a quiche, but without the eggs” is how I described it to my girls. The best thing about this (besides how good it turned out!) is that the combination of ingredients is possibly endless. While the idea, I admit, was not completely original (I recently saw something similar at our market) I wasn’t quite sure how I would go about it and what the results would be. Surprisingly, it was just about perfect. I can’t decide whether I liked it better hot or cold…of course you lose the flakiness of the pastry cold. I think next time I might spread some tangy mustard in place of one of the cheese layers.

• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 4 oz quality sliced deli meat
• 4 oz cheese sliced or grated (sharp white cheddar)
• 2-3 artichoke hearts, sliced thinly
• 4 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small onion, sliced and pan-roasted
• ½ cup chopped, cooked spinach, squeezed
• 2-3 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 small or 1 medium sweet potato
• Salt and pepper
• Pinch thyme
  

Roll pastry dough out to fit 6 x 9 or 8 x 8 pan, leaving enough to cover the top of the pie. Layer cheese, onion, ham, cream cheese, spinach, artichoke hearts, cheese again if desired, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms evenly in the pan. Press down with the palm of your hand to compress layers slightly. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Top with remaining pastry, with slits or holes in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake at 400 deg. F for 25-30 minutes, or until pie is heated through and top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes (the extra juices from the mushrooms will soak into the lower layers).

Serve warm, at room temperature or even cold! Makes 4-6 entrée-sized portions.


Variations:
Substitute any of the following, or, as always, come up with your own combinations. A veggie-only version of this would be great, too!

Favorite pie crust or pizza dough recipe for the crust
Fresh goat cheese, feta, fontina, or other favorite cheese (something not too greasy) for the cheddar
Cooked broccoli or cauliflower or any green leafy vegetable for the spinach and/or for the meat.