Go to Your Own Party

When friends come over and you find yourself the cook, you don’t want to get stuck at the stove. You’d rather be chatting and enjoying the fun. Easy-to-serve do-ahead food that can be put out buffet-style is just the ticket.

Pasta shells filled with a ricotta-spinach mixture, sauced with marinara (a meat or mushroom sauce would work well, too) and sprinkled with cheese can be put together up to two days ahead, then baked while you’re munching on appetizers.

Serve it with a chopped antipasto salad, a crunchy, robust mix of appealing ingredients that improves in taste when made in advance.

Chilled beer or a jug of Chianti works well with all of these flavors. Add a bowl of fresh strawberries with cookies for dessert, and you’re all set for a great time.

Mandel is a cookbook author.

Pasta Shells With Ricotta-Spinach Filling and Fresh Basil

Active Work Time: 35 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

The recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. Cook all 20 shells, even though you will be using only 16. Some inevitably fall apart during stuffing.

20 jumbo pasta shells

Salt

1 cup spinach leaves

1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 egg

Dried red pepper flakes

1 pound ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups pasta sauce such as marinara, mushroom or meat sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup thinly sliced basil leaves

* Cook pasta shells in plenty of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, 12 to 15 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain.

* Chop spinach in food processor. Transfer to bowl and stir in Romano cheese, garlic, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Add ricotta and mix well.

* Gently toss pasta shells in oil. Put 2 slightly rounded tablespoons of cheese-spinach mixture in each of 16 pasta shells. Close shells, slightly overlapping 1 side of each.

* Spread 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce evenly in bottom of 13x9-inch shallow baking dish. Arrange shells, rounded side down, in single layer over sauce. Spoon remaining 1/2 cup sauce evenly over shells. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan over sauce. Cover with foil. (If made ahead, bring to room temperature before baking.)

* Bake covered at 350 degrees until sizzling, about 35 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and serve hot.

4 servings. Each serving: 741 calories; 1,579 mg sodium; 147 mg cholesterol; 36 grams fat; 62 grams carbohydrates; 41 grams protein; 0.33 gram fiber.

Chopped Antipasto Salad With Toasted Garbanzo Beans

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Toasting the garbanzo beans makes them crunchier and more flavorful. Cheese can be added, if you wish. Be sure to dice all antipasto ingredients the same size.

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans

1 (6 1/2-ounce) jar marinated artichokes

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 large stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice

8 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

4 cups romaine leaves torn into bite-size pieces, chilled and crisped

2 tablespoons minced parsley, optional

12 paper-thin slices Genoa salami

* Rinse and drain garbanzo beans and blot dry with paper towels. Cut artichokes into 1/4-inch-thick slices and reserve liquid.

* Heat 1 tablespoon oil in nonstick skillet over high heat. Add garbanzo beans and cook, shaking pan often, until browned, about 7 minutes.

* Combine garbanzo beans, artichokes and their liquid, 2 tablespoons olive oil, celery, onion, bell pepper, olives, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper to taste in 2-quart bowl and toss until well mixed. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Let rest at room temperature up to 4 hours.

* Toss vegetables. Combine romaine and vegetables and toss. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, remaining 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar and remaining 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and toss again until well mixed.

* Mound salad on platter. Sprinkle with parsley if desired and garnish with salami slices.

4 servings. Each serving: 466 calories; 980 mg sodium; 11 mg cholesterol; 35 grams fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams protein; 2.48 grams fiber.

Garlicky Focaccia With Onions, Red Pepper Flakes and Rosemary

Active Work Time: 25 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 40 minutes plus 1 hour standing

1 (1/4-ounce) package dry yeast

1 teaspoon honey

1 1/4 cups warm water, 105 to 115 degrees

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup rye or whole-wheat flour

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Olive oil

1 tablespoon cornmeal

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 small onions, halved and thinly sliced

3/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon snipped fresh rosemary

* Stir yeast and honey into warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

* Put all-purpose flour, rye flour and salt in food processor. Turn on processor and slowly pour yeast mixture through feed tube. Process dough until it just works away from sides of bowl but is still quite moist. With processor running, add 3 tablespoons olive oil through feed tube. Dough should be moist and sticky and form mass, but not ball. If dough is too sticky, add more flour; if too dry, add more water. Process until uniformly supple and elastic, 30 to 40 seconds. Or use electric mixer with paddle attachment.

* Transfer dough to large plastic food bag and seal, allowing enough room for dough to double in size. Let rise in warm spot until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When doubled, punch down. Either use dough immediately or refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze. Bring to room temperature before using.

* Divide dough in 1/2. With floured hands, stretch each 1/2 into free-form circle about 10 inches wide. If dough resists reshaping, let it rest briefly and try again. Place dough on large oiled baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal.

* Heat 1/4 cup olive oil and garlic until simmering. Pour through fine sieve, pressing garlic to release flavor. Discard garlic. Brush each piece of dough with warm oil. Top with onion slices and sprinkle with red pepper flakes, salt and rosemary.

Bake at 500 degrees until lightly browned on edges and well browned on underside, about 10 minutes, reversing pans once for even browning.

* Remove from oven and serve warm, cutting into quarters with kitchen shears. (Focaccia can be baked ahead and reheated wrapped in foil at 300 degrees until hot, about 12 minutes.)

8 servings. Each serving: 247 calories; 592 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.47 gram fiber.