One of my favorite weekend vegetarian dishes is stuffed shells with homemade tomato sauce filled with cheese. My mom made this for us when we were growing up and I knew I had to re-make it.
What You'll Need
2 x 12 oz. box of jumbo shells
1/4 c. minced basil
1/2 c. minced flat leaf parsley
1 egg
8 oz. container of mozzarella pearls
32 oz (2 lb.) whole milk ricotta
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 c. pickled jalapeño, minced
1 tbsp. red chili flake
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 c. shredded cheese
1 tbsp. dried chopped onion * optional
1/2 tsp. paprika
4 c. tomato sauce * click here for my recipe
Preparing the Shells
Fill water into a medium pot over high heat. Add salt and bring to boil.
Follow the stuffed shell box instructions to cook.
Drain from the boiling water 2 minutes shy from al dente.
Run cold water over the shells and set aside.
Preparing the Stuffing
5. Place the ricotta in a large bowl and mix until smooth.
6. Add in the salt, black pepper, garlic, jalapeño, red chili flakes, grated parmesan cheese, dried chopped onion, paprika and half of the chopped basil and parsley. Mix.
7. Add in one egg and mix to incorporate.
8. In an oven-safe casserole dish, place a thin layer of the tomato sauce.
Click here for my tomato sauce recipe.
9. Take a shell and place 1 tbsp. of the filling inside and nestle in the casserole dish. Fill in the remaining shells.
10. Sprinkle the top with shredded cheese and the mozzarella pearls.
11. With the remaining broken shells (if you have any), fill them into a small casserole dish in one layer.
12. Add a generous layer of the remaining ricotta and top with the remaining cheese.
13. Set the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit and bake the casserole dish covered for 30 minutes. 15 minutes uncovered at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
14. Before plating, sprinkle the top with the remaining flat leaf parsley and basil.
