eats, y'all

Besides the usual weekend treats of samosas stuffed with sookhe aloo and plantain waffles (with the butterfly lady's original, brilliant, reverse-engineered coconut dip), I also concocted (ergo the approximate ingredients) manicotti pomodori e gambero.

Why this dish works, besides the tasty ingredients, is that the grape tomatoes and spaghetti squash balance the cream sauce and shrimp.

Manicotti pomodori e gambero

8 manicotti, prepared as the box suggests

Filling (uh, mix these together):

1 spaghetti squash, halved, baked at 350 for about an hour (cut side down, then a flip at :40) and disemboweled with a fork
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
15 medium shrimp, peeled and chopped (in thirds)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced and more or less carmelized in 2 tablespoons butter

Sauce:
I made a cream sauce by using the butter for the onions, plus 2 tablespoons. About 1/5 or 1/6 cup flour then went in, along with 2 cloves of a shallot and about 2 cups milk (this is a thin-ish sauce), which I reduced for a while. I then added about 1/4 cup heavy cream to finish the sauce.

OK, so duh, stuff the manicotti and place them in a small rectangular casserole (9x13) and line the ends of the noodles with the remaining filling (there'll be plenty). Cover with halved grape tomatoes (about a pint comes in the little plastic baskets you find at the store) and the sauce. Bake for 15 minutes at 350, then pull the dish, finely grate Parmesan over the top and bake for 5 or 10 more minutes.