Skip to main content

Baked Stuffed Shells

    Stuffed shells are amazing in my mind! I am all for pasta stuffed with cheese. I like to order this when I go out, so its about time I try to give a recipe a whirl.

Ingredients
    1 tsp of kosher salt
    1/4 cup of olive oil
    6 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
    1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes
    2 28 ounce cans of San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
    1 lb of large pasta shells
    1 lb of ricotta, drained overnight
    16 ounces of mozzarella, cut into cubes, plus 4 ounces shredded
    2 cups of grated Grana Padano
    1 bunch of scallions, chopped
    8 ounces frozen peas, thawed
    3 tbs of fresh Italian parsley
                                             1 large egg, beaten
                                             1/2 cup of fresh basil


Directions
    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
    In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
    Add garlic and cook until edges are golden.
    Sprinkle in red pepper flakes.
    Add the tomatoes, slosh out a can with 1 cup of cooking water, add to pot.
    Stir in salt, and bring to a rapid simmer.
    Cook uncovered until thickened, about 20 minutes.
    While sauce is cooking, add the shells to boiling water and cook until al dente.
    For the filling, stir together in a bowl ricotta, cubed mozzarella,1 cup of  Grana Padano, peas, parsley and egg.
     Mix the shredded mozzarella and other Grana Padano cup in a different bowl.
     Stir in basil into the finished sauce.
     To assemble, in a large baking dish, spread 2 cups of the sauce in the dish.
     Divide the shells and fill each one, placing each one on top of the sauce.
     Once all the cheese filled pasta is in dish, pour two more cups of sauce on top.
     Sprinkle other cheese mixture on top and dollop left over sauce.
     Tent pan with foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove foil and let it bake more for another 5 to 10 minutes.


 Changes I Made!
    I hate peas, so nixed those in a heart beat.
    I also probably slightly cheated and got cans of already crushed tomatoes.


This recipe comes from Lidia's Celebrate Like an Italian.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Unfried Chicken

   Baked chicken is a staple in any house hold. The skin or crust for the chicken can make or break any meal. So I am on the hunt for better ways to make chicken. This one by Trisha Yearwood had some promise when I first read it. Ingredients     1 cup of buttermilk     1 tbs of hot sauce, I used Franks     1 1/2 cups of panko bread crumbs     3 tbs of Parmesan cheese     1 tbs of lemon zest     1 tsp of red pepper flakes     salt and pepper     4 chicken breasts, cut in half     1 lemon, quartered Directions       Preheat oven to 400.       In a small bowl, mix milk and hot sauce.       In a larger bowl, mix bread crumbs, cheese, lemon zest and red pepper flakes.       Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, and then dip in milk combination.       Dredge chicken in panko crumbs after milk and lay ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Penne alla Vodka

     For me, trying out new things is a must for this challenge, and new sauces is differently something I have found joy in.      Now the last sauce, also bought to you by Audrey at Home, but this one is so much more simpler and doesn't call for a hand mill. Ingredients     1/2 onion     pinch crushed red pepper flakes     5 1/2 tbs of unsalted butter     1 cup tomato puree     1/2 cup of good quality Russian vodka     1/2 cup of heavy cream     Sea Salt     1 lb of penne     1 ounce of parmigiano-reggiano Directions       In a large skillet saute onion and pepper flakes in butter, over medium heat.       Add tomato puree, reduce heat to low and cook for a few minutes.       Stir in vodka and cook down for 15 minutes.       Add cream.       Meanwhile, cook pasta. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Spaghetti al Pomodoro

     It seems like every good cook knows how to make a sauce, and that's why I chose this recipe. Every good Italian mama has their signature sauce, and I am neither Italian or a mama, so I gave this recipe a whirl. Audrey Hepburn was at least a mama after all.      The sauce does take awhile so give yourself a few hours to make it. Ingredients      3 lbs vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely diced      1 onion, peeled and left whole      1 stalk of celery, cleaned      1 carrot, cleaned left whole      6 basil leaves, chopped      extra virgin olive oil      pinch of sugar      salt      pepper      1 lb of spaghetti      Parmigiano- Reggiano Directions       In a large pot, with a lid over it, cook tomatos, onion, celery, and carrot for 10 minutes.   ...
Post a Comment
Read more