Stuffed Shells

Stuffed Shells should be a staple dish in everyone's repertoire! They can be assembled in 20 minutes or less if you choose to use SKORDO Pizza Sauce or your favorite jarred sauce- though if you have a little time, this tomato sauce is full of flavor and the best thing to simmer on a Sunday. I love having little helpers when I make this dish, it can be so fun to work together filling each shell and nestling them into the sauce.

Both our Tuscan Oil blend and Italian Seasoning used in this recipe are salt-free, so you have full control here adding or omitting as you'd like to suit your family's needs + preferences. A bonus- stuffed shells reheat beautifully and can be enjoyed for lunch all week (if they last that long!)

Makes 4-6 servings

 Ingredients:

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Italian sausages, mild or hot
• 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons SKORDO Italian Seasoning
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

For the filling:

• 32 ounces Ricotta
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons SKORDO Tuscan Oil Blend

To assemble:

• 20-30 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 cup shredded cheese, blend of parmesan and mozzarella
• 1/4 cup fresh basil + parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Start on your sauce: in a medium pot, preheat over low-medium heat and crumble your sausage in. Allow to brown, then remove and set aside.
2. Add your olive oil to the pot, then your onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and stir to combine.
3. At this point, add your Italian seasoning to the onion + garlic. Then scoop in tomato paste and stir until it melts down and darkens in color.
4. Add sausage back to pot, along with crushed tomatoes + water.
5. Bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste, allow to cool.
7. Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook your pasta, salt pasta water to your liking.
8. Cook jumbo shells 2-3 minutes shy of package directions.
9. Strain and rinse, allow to cool.
10. Mix your filling: in a medium bowl, add all ingredients and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and set aside.
11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
12. Pick your baking tray, a casserole dish, pie tin, cake pan, whatever you have that is oven safe and can hold all your shells!
13. Start assembling: spoon some sauce onto the bottom of the dish to coat. This will prevent any shells from sticking or toasting.
14. Using a spoon, or an ice cream/cookie scoop, add 1-2 tablespoons of ricotta filling into each individual shell and nestle into saucy tray.
15. Once all shells are filled and tucked together, top with sauce and additional cheese.
16. Bake for 30 minutes and finish with 2-3 minutes of broiling if desired.
17. Top with a sprinkling of fresh herbs, and enjoy!

Make it your own!

• Sauté some spinach and add it to the ricotta filling.
• Omit the sausage for a vegetarian version- maybe add some chopped carrots instead.
• Try it with an alfredo style sauce and add some pesto.