Stuffed Shells - Sooo good.

I found this recipe in a magazine. Since I'm trying to do a lot more cooking so that eating out is a luxury, I gave it a whirl. It was a hit and we all looked forward to the leftovers.

My food allergies are extensive, so I left the cheese out, and Mr. Nonmom Jeans who has 0 food allergies didn't miss it (or the calories as we are both trying to loose our baby weight). I also used Italian Style Ground Turkey instead of ground beef and threw in some chopped broccoli to the "filling" to give it some color. This one's a keeper, kids. Bon Appetit!

Stuffed Shells

Prep: 50 mins, Bake: 30 mins, Oven temp: 350F

1 box Jumbo Pasta Shells (~35)

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1.5 lbs lean ground beef 

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 28oz. cans diced tomatoes

1 15oz. carton whole-milk ricotta cheese

1.5 cups grated or finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1.) Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil a baking sheet and a 3 quart oval or rectangle baking dish.

2.) Bring a large pot of water with 1 Tbsp salt to boiling. Add shells and cook just until slightly tender, about 4-5 minutes. Drain pasta and spread in a single layer on baking sheet so they don't stick together.

3.) In a large skillet heat 1 Tbsp of the olive oil over medium heat. Add beef and 1 clove of garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until no pink remains. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

4.) For tomato sauce, in same skillet over lower heat combine remaining olive oil, remaining garlic, and undrained tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until thickened somewhat.

5.) Stir 1.5 cups of the mixture into the ground beef, add ricotta and 2/3 cup of the Parmigiano cheese, stir until combined.

6.) Spoon 1.5 cups of tomato sauce into prepared baking dish. Fill each pasta shell with about 1 Tbsp meat and cheese mixture. Arrange shells in prepared baking dish. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over shells then sprinkle remaining 2/3 cups cheese. 

*I like my stuffed shells saucy so in addition to spooning the remaining tomato sauce over the shells, I also spooned about 1/2 a jar of tomato sauce over the shells*

7.) Bake about 30 minutes, until filling is heated through and top is golden brown. 

Makes 8 servings (4 shells = 1 serving size) 537 calories, 26g fat, 94mg cholesterol, 661mg sodium, 42g carbs, 3g fiber, 35g protien