If you’re at all familiar with the — ahem – fantastic city of Boston, you probably know about the North End. Our version of “Little Italy”, this bustling section of the city offers Boston’s best Italian cuisine. Bostonians and tourists alike have been known to brave frigid temperatures to stand in hour + lines for a seat at Giacomo’s or a spot at the counter at Mike’s Pastry. During the summer months, lines of hungry people snake down Hanover Street in both directions, making navigating the sidewalks nearly impossible.
The aforementioned restaurant Giacomo’s is easily my favorite of the North End eateries. With about 10 tables nestled into one tiny room, Giacomo’s doesn’t boast the most serene ambiance, but the food… ah, the food. Many ubiquitous Italian staples grace the menu, but I remain undyingly faithful to two sensationally special dishes: butternut squash ravioli with diced asparagus in a prosciutto mascarpone cheese cream sauce & pumpkin tortellini in a fresh sage mascarpone cheese sauce. Just conjuring up a mental image of the tender pasta, sweet & savory fillings, and silky mascarpone sauces makes my mouth water.
Although I fully enjoy these rich pasta dishes when we dine at Giacomo’s, I prefer to prepare lighter Italian cuisine when I cook at home. These stuffed shells are a basic Italian favorite, but man-oh-man are they tasty. I’ve revamped the typical recipe for stuffed shells by subbing in sautéed fresh spinach for thawed frozen spinach and 1% whipped cottage cheese for ricotta. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of trying this type of cottage cheese, I urge you to do so ASAP. With smaller curds and a thicker consistency than regular cottage cheese, the whipped version is pretty darn similar to ricotta cheese… minus all of the unnecessary fat.
If you find yourself with a hankering for traditional Italian food, come on up/down/over for a visit to the North End. You know I’d be more than happy to join you for a big plate of ravioli or tortellini. But if you’re craving a lightened version of an Italian classic, gather together the ingredients for these stuffed shells and in 45 minutes you’ll have a delicious homemade meal without having to wait in any lines.
