Stuffed Jumbo Shells

So you wanna make shells...stuffed shells, right? You've been asking for the post now over a year, but as easy as each step is, there's a lot of them.

Essentially, there are four main steps, but potentially five if you decide to make the sauce yourself:

1. Prepping the pasta. 

2. Making the filling.

3. Stuffing the shells. 

4. Putting it all together and baking it!

This is one of Jon's most requested meals--easy, but tedious and like an assembly line! So, if you embark on this journey, make the most of it. Make alot!

Tip:

--buy 2 boxes of shells

--use ALL of the filling. 

--fill as many Pyrex dishes as possible

--bake them, and freeze them 

--freeze any extra shells precooked seperately in ziplock bags!!

Three-Cheese Stuffed Jumbo Shells

Equipment:

Mixing bowl 

Large saucepan

9" x 13" Pyrex dish (as many as you have)

Wax paper

Foil

PAM Spray

Ingredients:

1-2 Box(es) of jumbo shells

2 (15 oz) jars marinara sauce (or make Mario Batali's Marinara as posted a few weeks ago)

Filling:

1 large (32 oz) Ricotta container

4 oz cream cheese 

2-3 cups mozzarella 

1 cup Parmesan 

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

3-4 Tbls parsley, chopped

2-3 Tbls of mixed fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, basil), chopped

1 egg

Salt & pepper

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands. 

2. Preheat oven to 375F degrees. 

3. Prep your pasta to 'just undercooked'. 

4. Separate and cool shells on wax paper.

5. While shells cool, prep your garlic and herbs.

6. Combine the filling ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

7. Adjust more cheese, garlic, salt & pepper to taste.

8. Prep your 9" x 13" baking dish with 1 cup of marinara.

9. Now you are ready to stuff the pasta shells...one by one!

10. Place stuffed shells in single layer in prepared dish.

11. Once the dish is filled, drizzle marinara over top of shells.

12. Sprinkle additional mozzarella and Parmesan on top.

13. Spray a sheet of foil with Pam spray and cover dish.

14. Bake for 30' minutes covered. 

15. Bake another 5-10' minutes uncovered until golden brown.

16. Remove and cool at least 10 minutes prior to serving! 

Enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Show off your skills with this easy dish especially if Mom and Dad come to visit!
Have extra sauce for drizzling!