Ooey-Gooey Cheesy Stuffed Shells
Cheesy Stuffed Shells With My Secret Tomato Sauce
Amanda Haas
Notes
Who doesn't love stuffed shells? Loaded with cheese and tomato sauce, this pasta dish is a total crowd-pleaser. To change it up, you can add a little ground beef or different herbs to the sauce. Also, it's easy to double the recipe and freeze one batch.
Ingredients
- For My Secret Tomato Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 canned anchovy fillets in oil, drained
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (14-1/2-ounce) cans no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and finely chopped
- For the Shells:
30 uncooked jumbo shell pasta (about 8 ounces)
4 ounces (1 cup) shredded 6-cheese Italian-blend cheese, divided
8 ounces (2 cups) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
Cooking spray
3 cups My Secret Tomato Sauce or bottled pasta sauce
Directions
For My Secret Tomato Sauce:
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add anchovy fillets and garlic; cook 2 minutes, pressing anchovy fillets with the back of a spoon until smooth.
- Stir in salt and remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer; cook, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
For the Shells:
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Cook pasta in boiling water 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain.
- Combine 1/2 cup Italian-blend cheese and next 6 ingredients (through ricotta) in a bowl. Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pasta shell. Place shells, stuffed sides up, in a 13-by-9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour sauce over shells. Cover and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Italian-blend cheese. Bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
Amanda Haas is a cookbook author, cooking video host, and the founder of One Family One Meal, a website that helps families menu plan, grocery shop, and cook on a budget. Her cookbook, Real Family Food, features this and other delicious family-friendly recipes, as well as simple tips for bringing your family together around the table and a strategy for meal planning, budgeting, and shopping.
Information
- Category
- Pasta, Main Dishes
- Cuisine
- North American
- Yield
- Serves 10
Image Source: Photo by Jim Bathie
