YIELDS:
PREP TIME:
0 hours 5 mins
COOK TIME:
0 hours 45 mins
TOTAL TIME:
0 hours 50 mins
ingredients
10 Jumbo Pasta Shells, cooked
1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated
1 Egg, beaten
1/4 Tsp. Dried Oregano
1/8 Tsp. Freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 Tsp. Kosher Salt
1/8 Tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
2+ Cups Marinara sauce
1 Tbsp. Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese, grated to top dish
DIRECTIONS
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a small baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Cook your jumbo pasta shells in highly salted water per the boxes instructions. Drain well and let cool until you can handle them.
3. Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients (except the sauce, parsley and one tablespoon of parmesan) in a large bowl until well combined.
4. Using a large tablespoon, fill each each shell with a heaping tablespoon of the filling. Place them in the baking dish. Continue until all the shells and filling are used.
5. Cover the shells with my marinara sauce or your favored jarred brand. Sprinkle with one tablespoon of parmesan and the parsley. Cover the dish with tin foil and bake for 35-40 minutes until everything is cooked through and the sauce is bubbling. Remove the foil and bake 5 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit five minutes.
6. Serve the stuffed shells with some chopped parsley and parmesan on top. Enjoy.
NOTE: Nothing screams NYC more than an old world, Italian baked pasta dish. There wasn’t an Italian home in the Bronx that didn’t have a favorite. I made today’s with my marinara sauce so I could enjoy it on Meatless Monday (something I try to embrace when I remember… LOL). However, if you want to load this up with a meat sauce, be my guest. That is totally acceptable and works really well with the stuffed shells.
I was lucky enough to get this New York Style Italian Meat Sauce recipe from a boy friends mother – Pee Wee. (I know, what a great name! Her real name was Rose but her father started calling her Pee Wee as a child and it stuck.) She taught me this recipe in fear that her child might starve if I didn’t learn to cook…LOL. But it remains one of my favorite recipes and one I’ve been making for years. Haven’t met anyone that doesn’t love it. So be sure to grab that recipe here and make this recipe if you are craving a meat sauce.
No time? No worries. A great jarred marinara sauce will be just fine. Use your favorite but if you are looking for a recommendation, Rao’s makes a great marinara sauce.
Typically, I make huge trays of these shells for family gatherings, parties, etc. BUT, I had a craving and thought this would be a nice surprise for just the two of us (you decide what two!). It isn’t hard to make and if you are using sauce you’ve got stashed in your freezer (or the store bought jar), you can have this on the table in under an hour. Add some of my Garlic Bread and a big salad and you’ve got a great NYC Italian Baked pasta any day of the week.
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