Doaheadstuffedshells Recipes

DO-AHEAD STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• If serving immediately, heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Make Tomato Sauce: Soak mushrooms in the warm warm until softened, 30 minutes. Drain and reserve liquid. Finely chop mushrooms.
• Heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium-low heat; add onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, until soft, 10 minutes. Add wine and cook until almost evaporated. Stir in tomatoes, mushrooms and the reserved soaking liquid, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat 10 minutes. Chop parsley with basil; add to sauce and simmer 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, 10-12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Mix remaining ingredients except Parmesan in medium bowl, then stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan until blended.
• Using soup spoon, stuff pasta shells with cheese mixture.
• Place half the tomato sauce in casserole large enough to hold shells in single layer, or divide sauce among 2 or 3 smaller casseorles. Place shells over tomato sauce, then spoon remaining sauce over shells.
• Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over shells. Cover and bake until heated through, 12-15 minutes. Serve with additional Parmesan.
• Or, let unbaked sauced shells cool to room temperature, cover tightly, and freeze up to 2 months. To serve, thaw covered in refrigerator, then bake as directed and serve with addtiional grated Parmesan cheese.

THE BEST STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• For the marinara sauce: Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic has softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat, add the basil and dried oregano, partially cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 45 minutes.
• Remove the basil sprig. If the sauce is still too chunky, mash the larger chunks of tomato with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
• For the shells and filling: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the dried pasta shells cook, stirring occasionally, until softened slightly but not cooked. (The pasta shells should flexible enough to be filled but remain very al dente; they will continue to cook during baking.) Drain, then run under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well again.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley and egg in a large bowl until well combined and uniform. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a large disposable pastry bag or large resealable plastic bag (or use a spoon for filling directly from the bowl).
• Spread 2 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Snip off the end of the pastry bag and squeeze the filling into the shells one at a time. Arrange the shells open-side up in a tight single layer in the baking dish as you fill them. Top with the remaining marinara sauce. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake the shells until the sauce is bubbling throughout and the filling is heated through, about 35 minutes.
• Remove the foil from the pan and continue to bake for 10 more minutes to reduce the sauce. Let cool slightly before serving. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

MAKE-AHEAD STUFFED SHELLS WITH CABOT WHITE CHEDDAR CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain well.
• Place ricotta and cream cheese in a bowl and mash together. Stir in 1 cup shredded cheese, egg, chopped basil and garlic. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In large pot of boiling water, cook pasta until al dente, or barely tender. Drain well, making sure to empty shells of any remaining water; set aside to cool briefly.
• Spread about 1/2 cup marinara sauce over bottom of large baking dish. Spoon ricotta mixture evenly into shells and arrange in dish. Pour remaining sauce over top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover dish, sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and garnish with fresh basil.

MAKE AHEAD STUFFED SHELLS (OAMC)

Steps:

• Brown turkey over medium high heat and crumble into small pieces. Season with salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce. Set aside to cool.
• Combine Tomato sauces, tomato paste and 1 tbsp basil. Salt and Pepper to taste. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine Ricotta, cottage cheese and two eggs. Add in the last of the basil.
• Line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with tomato sauce. Stuff the uncooked pasta shells with cheese/meat filling and rest shells in tomato sauce. Repeat until you have run out of shells and filling (this may take more than one box of shells and will require 2 9x13 pans).
• Top pasta shells with shredded cheese. Cover and freeze for 2 months, or, bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. You can bake this from frozen for about 50 minutes (altitude and oven types will vary).