Here's a quick post, as I prepare to go and see my Little Sweethearts, 1-4.
Mr. and Mrs. Hawley Road were here for dinner on Monday. Decided to make stuffed pasta shells, with homemade pasta sauce. Ahhhhh, it is so good.
The recipe makes alot of stuffed shells. If there are more than you want to bake for dinner, you can freeze the unbaked stuffed shells. (After you fill them, place on a cooking sheet; freeze. Then, place the shells in a ziploc bag and keep in freezer.)
The pasta sauce has been posted on 12/14/08.
A nice chianti goes quite nicely with this (both in preparing and in eating).
Life is good...........................
Stuffed Pasta Shells
adapted from one of Giada's recipes
Lightly oil a 9x13 pan
12 oz (1 box) jumbo pasta shells (make sure box says 'jumbo', as in Mrs. Jumbo from Dumbo)
1 pound ground beef
2 (15 oz) containers whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/3 cups grated parmesan cheese
4 large egg yolks
3 T chopped Italian parsley
3 T chopped fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
5 cups pasta sauce (posted on 12/14/08)
Cook pasta shells in large pot of boiling salted water until slightly tender but still firm to the bite, about 4-6 minutes. (Shells continue cooking in the oven after they have been stuffed.)
Using slotted spoon, drain and scoop out shells and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, spreading them out so that they do not stick together; allow to cool.
Brown and drain the ground beef. I add a tablespoon of Italian herb seasoning to the meat, while browning.
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan, egg yolks, basil, parsley, salt and pepper.
Add the ground beef and combine.
Place about 1 1/4 cups of pasta sauce in the 9x13 pan.
Fill the cooled shells with the cheese/beef mixture; about 2 T. in each shell.
Place the filled shells in the 9x13 pan.
Spoon remaining sauce over the shells.
Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.
Bake in the lower third of the oven until filling is heated through, about 20-25 minutes.
350 degrees.
My Notes:
The pasta sauce I use is very good and does not take much time to bring together, at all. But, if you don't have the time, just use whatever store-bought pasta sauce you would like.
Recipe calls for 5 cups of pasta sauce; rarely do I use the full amount. Use as much or as little as you like. This is where the glass(es) of chianti helps you to assess the amount of sauce to use.
All the shells do not fit into a 9x13 pan. If you need more room, just get out another pan.
Generally, I end up freezing some of the unbaked stuffed shells.
Reheating the leftovers is a breeze. Already baked shells will reheat in about 15 minutes.
If the shells are coming out of the freezer, let shells come to room temp. Place in pan (pasta sauce on the bottom of pan and remember to sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese). Bake at 350 degrees, 20-25 minutes.
Of course, you can put the frozen shells right into the oven (in a pan, of course, not a ziploc bag). You'll just have to adjust baking times.
