1 lb medium or small shells - uncooked
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cup milk, divided
1/2 cup chicken broth - homemade or canned
1 salt
1 freshly ground pepper
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
4 oz canned sliced mushrooms - drained
1/4 cup sliced pimentos
2 cup diced cooked chicken - (optional)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese - plus more, for passing
1/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
Directions
Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse the pasta
under cold running water until cool and drain thoroughly.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In small bowl, stir together the
cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of the milk until the cornstarch is
dissolved. Heat the remaining milk and the chicken broth in a small
saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and heat,
stirring, until the sauce is simmering and thickened. Add the salt
and pepper and simmer 3 minutes. Pour the sauce into a bowl, add the
peas, mushrooms, pimentos, chicken (if using), 1/2 cup of the
Parmesan cheese and the cooked pasta. Stir the sauce in until it and
the vegetables are evenly distributed. Transfer to a baking dish.
Stir 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese and the bread crumbs together in a
small bowl and sprinkle the mixture over the pasta. Bake until the
sauce is bubbling and the topping is golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Serve hot, passing additional grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
(With chicken) Each serving provides: 440 Calories; 29.8 g Protein;
61.9 g Carbohydrates; 7.3 g Fat; 44.6 mg Cholesterol; 486 mg Sodium.
Calories from Fat: 15%
Copyright National Pasta Association (http://www.ilovepasta.org)
(Reprinted with permission)
Servings: 6 servings
Baked Shells With Mushroom Cream Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Mushroom; Vegetable
The History of Recipes
We can follow the history of `recipes` far back into antiquity, in fact as far back into recorded history as ancient Egypt, and potentially, even further back. However, mostly, these early recipes were just simple pictorial recipes for food preparation.
In an interesting twist, the most ancient recipe discovered, according to Professor Solomon Katz, is a collection of ancient tablets in Sumerian which describe the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making those who drank it feel `exhilarated, wonderful and blissful`. Progressing into Roman times 25BC a man called Apicius created some documents showing how to cook the recipes cooked by his fellow Romans. In his works, he recounts how the meals of wealthy Romans were split into appetizers, main course and afters, something we still use today. He also informs us how the Roman cooks made use of many different herbs, including a few that are still present in modern kitchens like thyme, mint and dill. Continuing our culinary historical journey, we have some interesting books published in the 1300s ; one book entitled `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary titled `Curye on Inglish`. Perhaps surprisingly, these two books are not about the spicy food that is familiar to us all today, but instead accounts of the types of food on the menues of the rich and powerful of the period. Later on, in the 15th century, knights returning from the crusades brought back a variety of foods and spices from the holy lands, such as parsley and basil. The introduction of these new foods and spices led to an increase in cookery books, most of which are kept safe in private libraries. When we get to the twentieth century, cooking publications were greatly in demand as a result of better eduction, more spare time and being a little richer. The TV revolution brings us TV chefs and the demand for the spin-off recipe books. And that neatly brings us to the present day and the invention of the internet, permitting us all to search through thousands of recipes like those on this web site. |
We hope you enjoy this Baked Shells With Mushroom Cream recipe.
