In Praise of Pale Food

Whether it's a spectacular curry or a vivid array of produce, I have always believed that good food comes drenched in color.  For many children however there's nothing so comforting as white food.  You know what i mean:  Bread, sauce free pasta, french fries.  They like their food bland and beige.

My sister went through the white food stage and while I've always had a more adventurous palate I was charmed nevertheless by Melissa Clark's recent NY Times essay "In Praise of Pale Food." I can't wait to try Clark's Chicken Pot Pie!

I've included a recipe for a mostly white dish of my own, albeit one decked in decadent red sauce.


Stuffed Shells with Sausage & Spinach

1 egg
18 pasta shells
16 oz ricotta cheese
1 cup fresh spinach
1 tbsp Parmesan
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried fennel
1/2 tsp Spanish paprika
a pinch of sugar
a dash of salt
black pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups marinara sauce
1 1b ground Italian sausage
1 cup shredded mozzarella and Romano cheeses

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Simmer garlic in olive oil over medium heat.  Add sausage and cook until browned.  Season with fennel, paprika, salt, pepper and sugar.  Remove stems for spinach and chop until fine.  Blend ricotta and egg until smooth.  Add Parmesan, basil, oregano and garlic powder.  Add sausage and spinach.

Bring of water to a boil.  Add pasta and return to a rolling boil.  Cook until tender (approximately 12 minutes).

Drain shells.  Drizzle glass pan with olive oil.  Transfer shells to glass pan.  Stuff shells with Ricotta mixture.  Drizzle liberally with marinara.  Sprinkle with Italian cheese blend.

Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes until bubbly.