Cheesy Stuffed Shells

Described as a delicious, earthy flavor, the combination does take a bit of time to stuff the shells but so worth it.

Pasta and cheese are the traditional combination, but the ways they can come together vary so much. Combining ricotta and mozzarella cheese, then stuffing it inside cooked pasta shells creates a delicious combo that is better than any restaurant variety. The never-ending bread sticks are up to you.

SOFTWARE

·         12 oz. jumbo pasta shells

·         15 oz. ricotta cheese

·         12 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided

·         1 egg

·         1 t. salt

·         1 t. garlic powder

·         1 t. onion powder

·         1 t. Italian seasoning

·         1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

·         24 oz. spaghetti sauce (I like Parmesan-Reggiano sauce for more cheese)

METHOD

1.       Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2.       Cook pasta shells until they are just al dente. Don’t overcook. Rinse under cold water when done and set aside.

3.       In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, 8 oz. of the mozzarella, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian season until well-integrated together.

4.       In a 13x9 glass baking dish, spoon out enough sauce to thinly cover the bottom of the dish.

5.       Fill each pasta shell with a couple of spoonfuls of the cheese mixture and place in the baking dish.

6.       When the dish is filled, spoon the rest of the sauce on top of the shells and sprinkle the remaining 4 oz. of mozzarella across the top.

7.       Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling.

8.       Serve on a plate or bowl.

9.       Enjoy

VARIANTS

If you wanted something a bit more meaty, crumbled sausage or other meat in the cheese mixture would go nicely. Just make sure the meat is cooked before adding. Not a carnivore? How about some chopped cooked spinach instead?