Baby Shells with Butter Roasted Tomato Sauce & Fresh Ricotta

Since this winter literally will not quit (um hi it’s MARCH), I figure I might as well do my best to embrace hearty comfort food for the time being. Case in point, this baby shells smothered in a butter roasted tomato sauce and topped with fresh riccotta. Although at this point I am literally daydreaming about spring and summer produce…. asparagus, tomatoes, berries… drool! I’m headed to L.A. for work this week and can’t decide if I’m more excited about 75+ temps (permitted the rain subsides) or gorging myself on produce that goes beyond the category of root vegetable. And then hopefully when I get back New York temps could rise above 40° for a consistent amount of time?  Yes? K, thanks. That would be great.

Thank you all so much for your supportive comments on Friday’s post. While it’s been a rough few weeks, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel- and your thoughtful words are most definitely a part of that. Here’s to a bright week.

Baby Shells with Spicy Butter Roasted Tomato Sauce and Fresh Ricotta  adapted from Bon Appétit
Serves 3-4 people

• 1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
• 2 anchovy fillets packed in oil (or 1 tsp anchovy paste)
• ¼ cup (½ stick) salted butter, cut into small pieces
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes plus more for serving
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 oz. baby shells
• Finely grated Parmesan (for serving)
• fresh basil
• fresh ricotta (the good stuff from your local cheese store!)

Preheat oven to 425°. Combine tomatoes (crushing them with your hands), garlic, anchovies, butter, and ½ tsp. red pepper flakes in a 13×9” baking dish; season with salt and black pepper. Roast, tossing halfway through, until garlic is very soft and mixture is jammy, 35–40 minutes. Using a potato masher or fork, mash to break up garlic and tomatoes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta cooking liquid.

Return pasta to pot and add tomato sauce and pasta cooking liquid. Cook over medium-high heat, tossing until sauce coats pasta, about 3 minutes. Serve topped with Parmesan, a dollop of ricotta, and fresh basil.