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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound box jumbo pasta shells (you'll only use 2/3 of the box)


• Olive oil for oiling cooked hot pasta


• 3 small or 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced


• 1/4 cup finely chopped peeled shallot (or substitute red onion)


• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced


• 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs, unseasoned


• 1/2-3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese


• Salt and pepper to taste


• 6-8 Tbs unsalted butter


• 2 Tbs chopped fresh sage


• 1-2 Tbs balsamic vinegar


• Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

PROCEDURE:

Get a 1 pound box of jumbo pasta shells going in a large pot of boiling water and also get 3 small-medium size peeled and sliced sweet potatoes going in another pot of water.

While those are cooking along, use a sauté pan with a couple Tbs of butter to sauté about 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot and a minced clove of garlic until they soften up then turn the heat off.

When the shells are done, drain them through a colander in the sink and then add a little olive oil to those to keep them from sticking together and also drain and mash the cooked sweet potatoes without any butter or milk.

Next, make the filling by using a large mixing bowl to combine the cooked shallots with the mashed sweet potatoes and add about 1/2 cup dried, unseasoned breadcrumbs and 1/2-3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese and mix it up.

Season that mixture with a little salt and pepper to taste let it cool a little bit and then use a spoon to generously stuff each shell, adding them to a large sauté pan, or two, seam side up as you go.

Put the pan on the stove top and add a little chicken or vegetable stock or even water to the pan, turn the heat to medium-medium high and put a lid on top.

While the shells are heating up, use the same pan you cooked the shallots in to melt 6 Tbs of butter and then add a couple of Tbs of finely chopped fresh sage and, just as the butter is starting to brown up a bit, add 1-2 Tbs balsamic vinegar and turn the heat off.

When the shells are nice and hot, divide them up into individual large, shallow bowls, spoon some of the balsamic sage butter over the top and finish with grated parmesan cheese.

HINTS:

Substitute finely chopped red onion if you don't have the shallots and use 1/2 tsp (or more to taste) dried rubbed sage if you don't have the fresh sage.

Even though you won't use all the shells in this recipe, it’s a good idea to cook them all because they have a tendency to tear sometimes as they are cooking.

It's a good idea to run cold water into the sink (not over the pasta) at the same time you are draining the pasta through the colander, to temper the hot water going into your plumbing.