3-Cheese Stuffed Shells with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

I'm sure you've been asked the question, "If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?"  And if you're like me, you found it impossible to answer that question.  I usually force the interrogator to compromise and accept my answer of "Anything Italian or Mexican".  You take me to an Italian or Mexican restaurant, and I am officially in heaven.  Hmm, perhaps I like tomato-based cuisines?  Good thing I married an Italian, then!

Speaking of which, this Italian dish is the epitome of "comfort food" - it's cheesy, saucy, and homey - guaranteed to make anyone comfortable (well, aside from people who can't process lactose or wheat...).  The addition of corn brings with it a summery burst of flavor, and using roasted red peppers in the sauce adds a nice zesty note as well.

All in all, this is a great recipe - a bit labor-intensive for a weeknight if you have to work all day, but still definitely doable.  And yes, it's from Clean Eating magazine.  (Have you gotten your subscription yet?  Not even after all of the delectable recipes I've told you about?  What's stopping you?).  I had to make a few changes, based on what I could find at the grocery store - I ended up using white pasta instead of whole wheat, canned tomatoes, and I used frozen corn instead of fresh, but that actually helped to cut down on the cooking time, so it all worked out.  Plus, I think I made up for the "freshness" factor by using fresh herbs instead of dried.  Check out the issue out now (August/September 2011) for the recipe.

Eat well.

What are some of your favorite comfort foods?  Have you put a healthy spin on them or do you like to leave the recipes alone and just enjoy the indulgence?

(Addendum - 08.19.11 - Clean Eating magazine has asked me to remove their recipes from my blog.  I apologize for any inconvenience this causes any of you.  I try to make sure I post the month and year of the issue where I found the recipes so you can find a copy for yourself.  You can order back issues here.  Eat well!)