Stuffed Shells

I made this before my accident...it was darn good!!!

So here is my twist on a Giada recipe, which can be found here. Something about Giada's recipes...but I always have to change them up a bit. Fresh mint does not sound appealing to me in a stuffed shells recipe. She also adds lemon zest to EVERYTHING. Not a fan of lemon zest except for in some seafood dishes. 

Ok, let's get movin'....Go ahead and lightly oil a sheet pan, as well as a large casserole dish. She suggested a 12 x 9 dish. I needed a far larger dish. Fill a large pot with water, cover and bring to a boil. When it boils, add a generous amount of salt and drop your shells. Under cook them because they will continue to cook when you pop the dish in the oven. You want super al dente pasta here. Drain them and add to the oiled sheet pan and allow to cool. Take your hands or a large spoon and try to make sure all shells are separated and coated in oil so they won't stick.

Now for your sauce. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Brown a pound of ground beef and then remove and place on a paper towel lined plate. Set to the side. Add about a half a pound of bacon lardons to the same pan and saute until crisp. Add 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper and your minced garlic. Let the garlic cook until just tender. Go ahead and add 2 jars of your favorite marinara sauce. Add the ground beef back in. Salt and pepper to taste.

In a separate bowl, stir 30 ounces of whole milk ricotta, 1 cup grated Italian cheese (I used a parm, asiago, mozz blend), 4 large egg yolks, 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, 1.5 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning, 1.5 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper. Preheat oven to 350.

Now, let's assemble...coat the bottom of your baking dish with your sauce. Start stuffing your shells. It only takes about 1.5 tablespoons of filling to fill a shell. Place seam side down on your sauce.

Top your casserole with the rest of your sauce and then your shredded mozzarella cheese. 

Bake about 30 minutes or until this is what you see:

Recipe Card:

12 ounce box of jumbo pasta shells

Olive Oil

8 ounces bacon, diced

2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 large garlic gloves, diced

2 jars marinara/spaghetti sauce

30 ounces whole milk ricotta

1 cup grated Italian cheese

4 large egg yolks

3 TBSP. fresh parsley, chopped

1.5 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

1.5 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

More salt and pepper to taste for sauce

Shredded mozzarella cheese to cover