Recipe: Stuffed Shells!

Hello there, guys, gals, and non-binary pals! Here’s an extra recipe for my birthday: my infamous Stuffed Shells! There’s no source on this one, it’s just how I make them and have made them for years and years! No more blathering until after the recipe!

Stuffed Shells

• The Ingredients
  • two 15 ounce containers of ricotta cheese
  • 1 1/3rd cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 2 tablespoon dried minced onion
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 pinches of salt
  • fresh black pepper
  • 1 pinch of crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed in a mortar and pestle
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground sage
  • 6 cups (two 24 ounce cans) of your pasta sauce of choice
  • 1 cup shredded italian cheese (for on top)
  • 40 jumbo pasta shells (one box, boils until al-dente)
• The Way of Preparing
  TIP: Make with a friend, many hands make light work.
  1. Oven to 350°, good rock music playing.
  2. Start with the pasta: prepare the jumbo pasta shells as the box instructs. Slightly underdone is fine, but leave them in the water until you’re ready to stuff them.
  3. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, wring out your thawed spinach until as dry as possible. Using a wooden spoon, mix the spinach and all of the seasonings into the ricotta. Taste base mixture and adjust as needed. Once good, add eggs, one at a time.
  4. Add the breadcrumbs and 2 1/2 cups of the mozzarella cheese.
  5. Reserve a cup of the pasta water, add it to the sauce that you have for this.
  6. Line the bottom of your baking pans with a ladle of the pasta sauce.
  7. Using a large spoon or massive piping tip and piping bag, fill the pasta shells with a healthy amount of filling. If you run out of shells, freeze the left over filling in a muffin pan.
  8. Layer shells in pan, cover with remaining sauce and cheese.
  9. Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until the cheese on top is nicely browned.
  10. Cool for ten minutes and then devour! Start with two shells, I promise they’re more filling than they look.
      
• Notes:
  • Optional to omit the spinach; you can also add diced vegetables or cooked, crumbled Italian sausage or beef
  • Once stuffed, the unbaked shells can be frozen and baked with sauce until they come to temperature.
    

This recipe, I literally broke in my first apartment with this recipe.

I have so many, many wonderful memories of feeding hungry fellow college students with this recipe.

As the 28th of June is my birthday, and I have gotten into the habit of giving gifts for my birthday, this is my gift to you all dear readers. I hope you’re able to make this for your family and enjoy!

Happy Baking! I would love for you to send me pictures of your attempts. And please share any recipes you’d like me to make!