Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Cheese Stuffed Shells

Here is a tasty variation on my recipe for Stuffed Manicotti.
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Cook Large Shell pasta (25)
or 14 pieces of Manicotti
about 10 minutes in boiling salted water.
Drain and set aside.
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In a large bowl mix;
1 15oz. tub Ricotta Cheese
1/4 C. grated Parmesan Cheese
2 C. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 Large Egg, beaten
2 T. chopped fresh parsley (I didn't have any today)
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You can use
3 C. Spaghetti Sauce
or "doctor" it up like I do; here's how.
In a pan, fry 1 lb. ground beef
(I use ground venison because Gentleman Farmer hunts and that's what we have in the freezer.)
1/2 small sweet onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
When browned, add your favorite jar sauce and 2 T. brown sugar
Simmer for a bit.
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Spread thin layer of sauce on bottom of a 9X13 baking dish.
(I used a round one ~ I rarely follow the rules!)
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Fill shell pasta with cheese mixture and nestle into sauce in dish.
Filling pasta can be messy, but I use my handy small ice cream/cookie dough scoop.
Makes filling go fast.
Manicotti, on the other hand, is always a challenge. I fill a heavy duty zip lock bag with cheese and snip off a corner. Squeeze into Manicotti. Makes filling the tubes easier!
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Top with remaining sauce.
Cover with foil and bake 375* for 35 minutes
(Because I'm a little O.C.D. - see post at The Parables - I don't want foil to come into contact with my food so I always cover with parchment before using foil.)
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This can be topped with more shredded cheese of your choice. I chose not to use any because we don't need it.
Serve with a nice salad and a vegetable and garlic bread!
Enjoy!

4 comments:

Mrs. E said...

YUM....
this looks scrumptious!!!!!
It also looks like it could
be a perfect "pot luck' dish!!!
Thank you for sharing. ;)

Many Blessings~ Miss Jen

Noel said...

oooh, that looks so good, I know my ancestors were Norweigan, but I must have some Italian blood in me, because I love all food Italian

American Homemaker said...

That looks great. I've never made big shells before.

Andrea said...

What a beautiful blog you have, and your recipes are outstanding. Many blessings to you. I want to take a look at your other blogs, also.

In Christ,

Andrea