Hearty, Cheesy, Meaty. Translation: Man and Kid Approved!
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- Yields:
- 8 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 15 mins
- Cook Time:
- 1 hr 30 mins
- Total Time:
- 1 hr 45 mins
Ingredients
- 8 oz. weight Jumbo Pasta Shells
- 30 oz. weight Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
- 8 oz. weight Parmesan Cheese, Grated, Divided
- 1/2 c. Grated Romano Cheese
- 1 whole Egg
- 12 leaves Basil, Chiffonade
- 2 tbsp. Minced Parsley
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1/2 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
- 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1/2 lb. Italian Sausage
- 1/2 c. Red Wine
- 1 whole (28 Oz. Size) Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 whole (15 Oz. Size) Crushed Tomatoes
- 2 tbsp. Sugar
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 2 tbsp. Minced Parsley
Directions
- Cook pasta shells for half the cooking time; make sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute or two. Add Italian sausage and brown, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Pour in red wine and let it cook for a minute or two.
Pour in cans of crushed tomatoes and stir. Add sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check for seasonings; can add crushed red peppers if you like a little heat.
In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, half the Parmesan, Romano, egg, salt and pepper, basil, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Stir until combined.
To assemble, coat the bottom of a baking dish with sauce. Fill each half-cooked shell with the cheese mixture. Place face down on the sauce. Repeat with shells until cheese mixture is gone. Top shells with remaining sauce. Sprinkle on extra Parmesan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Serve with crusty French bread.
This is yummy.
This is simple.
This was dinner last night.
The kids loved it. Marlboro Man loved it. Amen.
Everyone loves stuffed pasta shells—even people who don’t think they like stuffed pasta shells. It’s just that they don’t know they love them yet. But they will. Mark my words…they will!
Pasta shells will triumph!
Sorry.
Dice up an onion.
Some garlic, too.
Then heat up some oil in a large skillet.
It’s getting cold here, by the way!
Translation: I’ve never been happier in my life.
Throw in the onion and garlic…
Then throw in the Italian sausage.
You could use regular breakfast sausage.
Or hamburger.
Or a mixture of both.
Stir it around and crumble it while it browns.
When it’s nice and brown, pour in some red wine.
Let the liquid bubble and cook for a couple of minutes…
Then pour in the crushed tomatoes.
(You can also just use plain tomato sauce.)
Stir it around, add salt, pepper, and sugar. Then cover the skillet and cook the sauce for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the sauce is cooking, throw jumbo pasta shells in boiling water. Just cook ’em about half the time—you want them al dente to the max! When they’re done, drain them and rinse them with cool water. Set them aside.
Throw the ricotta into a large bowl…
Then throw in the egg.
Throw in a bunch of freshly grated Parmesan.
And some grated Romano.
Stir it together…
Add plenty of salt and pepper…
And throw in some herbs. I used basil and parsley…mostly basil.
I say ‘throw’ a lot.
Sorry. Trying to quit.
When the sauce has finished cooking, throw in a little parsley and basil and stir.
Spread a little sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.
Stuff the half-cooked pasta shells with the cheese mixture. Don’t overstuff; you want the shells to be able to close, and besides: picky men and kids will want you to go easy on the cheese mixture.
I speak from experience here.
Then lay the stuffed shells face down onto the sauce.
Yum. Already.
Spoon sauce over the top of the shells.
Sprinkle the top with more Parmesan, OR—if you have it—thin slices of fresh mozzarella.
The latter is scrumptious.
Bake it for 20 to 25 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Serve it up with crusty bread…
(Your kitchen smells delicious right now.)
The herbs in the cheese are divine. Go heavy on the basil, light on the parsley.
You’ll love this! A pretty easy, throw-together meal. Takes a little while to cook, but the ingredients and assemble are totally uncomplicated.
Enjoy, my friends!
Here’s the handy printable:
