Anthonys Favorite Stuffed Shells Recipes

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.

ANTHONY'S FAVORITE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• 1. Boil salted water as directed on the box and add jumbo shells.Drain and cool. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl, excluding the tomato sauce.
• 2. Once the shells are cool enough to handle, Line a casserole dish with some tomato sauce. Fill each shell with the cheese mixture and place in the casserole.If they don't all fit you canput the few leftover ones on top of the first layer.Top with remaining sauce and bake, covered 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
• 3. Note: A variation of this would be to add 1 package of thawed and squeezed frozen chopped spinach to the cheese mixture. I have also made these with meat using 2lbs ground beef or beef/pork mixture,seasoned and cooked and decrease the ricotta cheese to 1 lb.

ANTHONY'S FAVORITE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F In a large bowl, mix ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, parsley, salt, pepper, and eggs thoroughly.
• Pour a little more than half the sauce in a 9x13x2" pan. Fill shells with cheese mixture generously, and place into the pan with the sauce.
• Drizzle remaining sauce lightly over the top of the shells. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
• Bake 30-40 minutes until bubbly. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

ANTHONY'S FAVORITE STUFFED SHELLS (LITE-BLEU)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F In a large bowl, mix ricotta, cottage, and mozzerella cheeses, parsley, salt, pepper, and eggs thoroughly.
• Pour 2 cups of the sauce in a 9x13x2" pan. Fill shells with cheese mixture generously, and place into the pan with the sauce.
• Drizzle remaining sauce lightly over the top of the shells. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake 30-40 minutes until bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.