Project #4: Culinary Design Blog (Stuffed Shells Recipe)

4 Cheese Stuffed Shells

Making a pasta dish has a comfort food quality. It's easy to make, doesn't take long to cook, and it's delicious. I made a variation of this dish based on a recipe by Rachael Ray, the queen of 30 minute meals. I'm not really a person who cooks everyday, so when I do decide to make something I want it to last a few days throughout the week. This recipe is for a group of 4-5 people. 

Ingredients:

• 20 pieces of jumbo pasta shells
• 32 oz container of part skim ricotta cheese
• 1 pound of shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup of pecorino-romano cheese
• 1 cup of shredded asiago cheese
• 1/3 cup of chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Shred the mozzarella, pecorino-romano, and asiago cheeses.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta. Cook shells for 12-15 minutes. They should be soft but still undercooked in the middle. Drain pasta and cool.
4. In a big bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 of the shredded mozzarella, pecorino-romano, and asiago. Add the chopped parsley to the cheeses and stir.
5. Heat a large skillet, add one tablespoon of olive oil and add the garlic. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Pour a little sauce into the bottom of a 9x12 sized casserole dish. Fill the shells with the cheese mixture and place them in the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top. Place in the dish in the oven for about 7-10 minutes to melt the cheese on top. 
7. Serve a few shells onto a plate and enjoy!

sauce on bottom of the dish. arrange the shells with cheese inside

pour sauce over

add mozzarella on top and put in the oven

let it cool slightly

place onto a plate, neatly