Stuffed Shells

H: What's for dinner tonight?

Me: Stuffed shells. I'm going to freeze a pan to take over to [friends] in a couple days, since they just had their baby.

H: Didn't you make that right after my sister got out of the hospital?

Me: Yes.

H: Are you concerned about the link between this dish and people going to the hospital?

Me: Re-think the sequencing on that one.

So, yes, I have a need these days to make casseroles for people who, fortunately, are mainly going to the hospital to have babies or otherwise turned out okay. This Martha recipe is nice (albeit a little selfish), because you can make a pan and freeze a plan, giving you one meal as a reward for your hard work (it takes about an hour to prepare, not counting baking time). I take it over in a reusable foil pan, with instructions written on top with a Sharpie, and a bag of salad mix. Although Martha's original version with radicchio is strangely beautiful in red and purple, it seems less creepy to take it over to someone else when I use green swiss chard.

Here is where we interpret, since Martha's recipes are sometimes lofty and/or not explicit: Bacon works great instead of prosciutto. I like a lot of butter, so I use half a stick or so. The red wine vinegar adds the perfect amount of tang, so don't leave it out. 5 cups of tomato sauce is 2 24-oz. jars of Tomato & Basil Classico from Costco, and the recipe works just fine if you dot with butter and cover with sauce prior to baking or freezing.

Mazel tov; get well soon.