Not Your Ordinary Stuffed Shells Food

NOT YOUR ORDINARY STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Boil and drain pasta shells.
• Mix mashed potatoes, garlic salt, onion salt, dried minced onions and 4oz. of cheese.
• (You may use cold or heated mashed potatoes-I prefer heated).
• Using a small melon scoop, gourmet decorator or an Easy Accent decorator or even a small spoon, fill the shells with the potato mixture.
• Place stuffed shells in a greased 9x13 pan.
• Top shells with remaining cheese, green onions and potato topping, (I place 3 very small dabs of butter on top of the cheese before baking so they wont dry out).
• Bake at 350°F for 30-45 minutes or until ready.

NO-BOIL STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the garlic, egg, ricotta, Parmesan, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Fold to combine. Transfer the mixture to a resealable plastic bag and snip a 1/4-inch hole in the corner.
• Spread 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pipe the ricotta mixture into the shells and arrange them opening-side up in the baking dish. Cover with the remaining sauce and 1 1/2 cups water.
• Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil, top with the remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and bake until almost all the liquid has evaporated and the cheese is browned, about 10 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes. Top with the remaining parsley before serving.

STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook for half the cooking time on the package; make sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.
• In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, Romano, parsley, basil, egg, some salt and pepper and half of the Parmesan. Stir until combined.
• To assemble, coat the bottom of a baking dish with some sauce. Fill each half-cooked shell with the cheese mixture and place face-down on the sauce. Repeat with the shells until the cheese mixture is gone. Top the shells with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle on the mozzarella and extra Parmesan.
• Bake until hot and bubbly, 25 minutes. Serve with crusty French bread.

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.

ITALIAN UNSTUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Add the tomatoes to a large bowl and use your hands to crush them into chunky pieces; set aside.
• In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Add the sausage and brown in large chunks until no pink remains, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Wipe out the fat from the skillet, leaving about 1 tablespoon behind. Add about a third of the tomatoes to the skillet and stir to pick up any remaining browned bits. Set aside.
• In another large bowl, add the spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, shredded mozzarella, egg, garlic, nutmeg and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Add the cooked pasta and sausage and gently mix.
• Add the pasta and sausage mixture to the skillet. Top with the remaining tomatoes and then the sliced mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, until heated through and the cheese is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with torn basil before serving.

STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425. Prepare a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray; set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, combine egg whites, mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, and chicken. Mix well.
• Fill cooked shells with cheese mixtures. Place shells in pan.
• Pour spaghetti sauce over top.
• Sprinkle parmesan cheese over top spaghetti sauce.
• Bake, covered, for 15 minutes.
• Uncover, and bake 10 minutes more, or until mixture is bubbly.

CHEESY MEATLESS STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add shells and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 9 minutes.
• While the shells are cooking, heat olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatless ground beef and cook and stir until brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes; add spinach and simmer until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes more. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat and mix in ricotta cheese and egg until fully incorporated.
• Pour 1/2 cup marinara sauce into the bottom of a 12-inch cast iron skillet or a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread out with the back of a large spoon.
• Drain cooked shells. Stuff each with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the "meat" mixture. Arrange in the skillet or baking dish. Pour remaining marinara over the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Sprinkle with remaining Italian seasoning and more black pepper.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is golden and bubbly, 35 to 45 minutes.

STUFFED SHELLS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the jumbo shells and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the jumbo shells through a colander.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the garlic and stir until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted down, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let the spinach cool to room temperature, then roughly chop on a cutting board.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta and egg. Add the chopped spinach, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, the black pepper, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine.
• Fill the jumbo shells with the ricotta mixture.
• Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Spread 2 cups of marinara on the bottom of the pan.
• Arrange the stuffed shells in a single layer over the marinara sauce. Spread the remaining 1 cup of marinara over the shells and top with the mozzarella.
• Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover the pan and continue baking until the cheese has melted and is golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Garnish with the basil and serve immediately.
• Enjoy!

NOT YOUR MOMMA'S STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook shells al dente, drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.
• Brown sausage.
• Add onion, when sausage is almost done, and saute.
• Squeeze water out of spincah, and add it to sausage and onions.
• Place cream cheese in a bowl, make sure it's very soft.
• Add 1/2 cup mozarella cheese to cream cheese and stir together.
• Add sausage mixture to cream cheese mixture.
• Stuff shells and line in casserole dish.
• Pour spaghetti sauce over (be sure there is sauce in the bottom of the dish under the shells, so they don't burn and stick).
• Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup mozarella cheese on top.
• Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes.

SIMPLE STUFFED SHELLS (WITH NO MEAT OPTION)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 F and grease a 9x13" casserole; if you have not already done so, prepare pasta shells according to package directions and also brown your sausage, drain & crumble.
• Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, all of the ricotta (use 2 cups if not using meat or if you like it very cheesey, even if you are using meat, otherwise use just 1 cup), as well as the parsley (reserving a small amount to garnish), egg, Parmesan cheese, garlic, nutmeg and black pepper.
• Pour sauce into the baking dish and then set the unfilled shells on top facing up so that you can fill them.
• Evenly portion out the crumbled sausage, if using, in the bottom of each shell.
• Spoon filling to a large ziptop plastic bag and snip off one corner.
• Pipe about 2 Tbsp filling into the each of the prepared pasta shells, or as much or as little as you prefer.
• Cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until sauce is bubbling under the foil.
• Remove foil, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and bake, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
• Serve extra sauce from the pan on the side.