Meat Free Stuffed Shells Food

THE BEST STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• For the marinara sauce: Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic has softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat, add the basil and dried oregano, partially cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 45 minutes.
• Remove the basil sprig. If the sauce is still too chunky, mash the larger chunks of tomato with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
• For the shells and filling: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the dried pasta shells cook, stirring occasionally, until softened slightly but not cooked. (The pasta shells should flexible enough to be filled but remain very al dente; they will continue to cook during baking.) Drain, then run under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well again.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley and egg in a large bowl until well combined and uniform. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a large disposable pastry bag or large resealable plastic bag (or use a spoon for filling directly from the bowl).
• Spread 2 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Snip off the end of the pastry bag and squeeze the filling into the shells one at a time. Arrange the shells open-side up in a tight single layer in the baking dish as you fill them. Top with the remaining marinara sauce. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake the shells until the sauce is bubbling throughout and the filling is heated through, about 35 minutes.
• Remove the foil from the pan and continue to bake for 10 more minutes to reduce the sauce. Let cool slightly before serving. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

EASY BEEF-STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta shells according to package directions to al dente; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1-1/2 cups Italian cheese blend, Parmesan cheese, pesto, egg and half of the beef mixture., Spread 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Spoon cheese mixture into pasta shells; place in baking dish. Combine remaining beef mixture and spaghetti sauce; pour over shells. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight., Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake until cheese is melted, 5-10 minutes longer.

STUFFED PASTA SHELLS FOR MEAT-LOVERS

Steps:

• Brown ground beef and drain. Return to pan.Saute onions and garlic in pan with cooked meat for approximately 3 minutes. Set aside.
• Boil salted water to cook the pasta shells according to package al dente style. Strain and set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix ricotta, parmasan, and 2/3 package of shredded mozzarella. Add italian seasoning, garlic pepper, eggs and milk and mix thoroughly. Mix in meat and spinach.
• In a large baking dish, pour enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan lightly. Fill each shell with large rounded tablespoons of meat and cheese mixture, and place in pan. Be sure to closely place the shells together so they don't get hard while baking.
• *If there are too many shells for one pan, make a secong and store tightly covered in freezer until later use.
• Pour remaining sauce evenly over all of the shells. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes. Take foil off pan, and bake additional 10 minutes.

MEAT-FREE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the shell pasta, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 13 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink, and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a skillet, and cook and stir the mushrooms, onion, and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Mash the tofu roughly with a fork in a bowl, and mix in the mushroom mixture, bread crumbs, spinach, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning; stir until combined. If mixture seems crumbly, stir in an egg.
• Pour enough pasta sauce into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish to coat the bottom. Fill each shell with about 1 1/2 tablespoon of filling, and place into the dish in a single layer. Spoon remaining sauce on top of shells. If there's any remaining filling, scatter that over the sauce, and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the filling is hot and set and the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 30 minutes.

VEGAN STUFFED SHELLS WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• FOR THE EGGPLANT: Sprinkle eggplant rounds with sea salt and place in a colander over the sink to let drain. After 10 minutes rinse lightly and then pat dry. Slice into quarters, place on a cookie sheet and toss in olive oil and sea salt. Broil for 5-10 minutes or until slightly browned and softened, tossing once or twice to ensure even roasting. Set aside.
• Next, bring a pot of water to a boil and add shells and a pinch of sea salt. Stir once and cook according to package instructions. Also, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).
• While the shells are cooking, add tofu to a food processor and pulse a couple times to break it up. Then add pesto, a healthy pinch of sea salt, dairy-free mozzarella shreds and mix until just combined. Taste a little and see if you need more salt or pesto. Then stir in roasted eggplant.
• Once the shells are done, drain and let cool slightly. Pour 1/2 cup red sauce in the bottom of a 10-inch cast iron or 8×8 pan (amounts as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size), then stuff shells with generous spoonfuls of filling.
• Arrange shells split side up in the pan and then top with remaining tomato sauce - they should be covered but not drowning. Bake for 35 minutes or until warm and bubbly. Serve immediately. These go great with Caesar salad, steamed broccoli and/or garlic bread.

MEAT STUFFED JUMBO SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
• Cool in single layer on foil or wax paper.
• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Meanwhile, in large skillet, brown meat; drain.
• In large bowl, stir together meat, eggs, bread crumbs, mozzarella cheese (if desired), onion, oregano, salt and pepper.
• Fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons meat filling.
• Spread thin layer of sauce on bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking dish.
• Place filled shells in prepared baking dish; cover with remaining sauce.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
• Cover with foil.
• Bake 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt and then add in the pasta shells. I usually cook a few extra in case some fall apart. Cook for half of the time indicated on the package plus one minute. (About 5-6 minutes depending on the package you use). Drain the shells and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and allow them to be easily separated. Drain off any water and separate onto a sheet of parchment paper on the counter.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg with a fork. Add in the ricotta cheese and mix until completely combined. Add in the basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, minced garlic, and salt + pepper to taste. (I use about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.) Stir gently.
• Finely grate the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Add two cups of the mozzarella and all of the Parmesan cheese into the cheese mixture. Gently stir to completely combine.
• Transfer this cheese mixture to a large (gallon-sized) zipper-top plastic bag. Snip off 1-inch of the corner of the bag and "pipe" the cheese mixture into each of the shells. Each shell should get about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture (which should fill 25-26 shells).
• Spread half of the marinara sauce evenly across the bottom of a 3-quart (9x13-inch) baking dish.
• Place stuffed shells in the baking dish with the open side facing up. Pack the shells in close together.
• Cover shells evenly with the remaining 2 and 1/2 cups marinara sauce. Aim to completely cover all of the shells to avoid hard parts of the shells. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove foil and add the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella evenly over the shells. Return to the oven for 5-7 more minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm with freshly chopped basil if desired. I also like to add a little more cracked pepper to the top!

STUFFED VEGETARIAN SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, broccoli, mozzarella, egg whites and seasonings. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water., Spread half the spaghetti sauce into a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Stuff pasta shells with ricotta mixture; arrange over spaghetti sauce. Pour remaining sauce over pasta shells. , Cover and bake at 375° for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake until heated through, about 5 minutes longer.,

SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray a shallow 8x8 inch baking dish with nonstick spray; set aside.
• Bring a pot of water on the stovetop to a boil. Cook the pasta shells to al dente. After cooking the pasta shells, drain and place them upside down on a baking sheet to dry.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute or two.
• Add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes until the leaves start to wilt. Remove from the heat and let the spinach cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together the spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined.
• Pour half of the marinara sauce into the bottom the baking dish.
• Working 1 shell at a time, generously fill each pasta shell with the spinach and ricotta mixture. Carefully place each shell in the baking dish, filling side up.
• Once all shells are filled and in the baking dish, cover with the remaining marinara sauce and a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove the aluminum foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the cheese starts to bubble and begins to brown.
• Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves.