Baked Shells With Pesto Mozzarella And Meat Sauce Recipes

BAKED SHELLS WITH PESTO, MOZZARELLA, AND MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400°F. Oil a large baking dish (about 9 by 13 inches).
• In a large stainless-steel frying pan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until the meat is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Drain off any excess fat.
• Add the tomatoes and salt to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook until most of the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pesto.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the shells until just done, about 10 minutes. Drain and toss with the sauce. Put half of the pasta into the prepared baking dish and top with half the mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan. Repeat with the remaining pasta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Bake until bubbling, about 15 minutes.
• Wine Recommendation: This robust dish with its meat and tomatoes calls for a gutsy red wine from Italy. A Chianti Classico Riserva's medium body, dried-cherry flavor, high acidity and moderate tannins will fill the bill perfectly.

BAKED SHELLS WITH PESTO, MOZZARELLA, AND MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Oil a large 9x13 baking dish.
• In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring ocassional until it starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the ground meat and cook, breaking it up, until browns, about 2 minutes. Drain off any excess fat.
• Add the tomatoes and salt to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook until most of the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the pesto.
• Meanwhile, cook the shells in a large pot of salted, boiling weater until just done, about 10 minutes. Drain and toss with the sauce. Put half of the pasta into the prepared baking dish and top with half the mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Repeat with the remaining pasta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Bake until bubbling, about 15 minutes.

BAKED SHELLS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Salt the water, add the shells and cook for 2 to 3 minutes less than the package directions. Heads up: Remove and reserve 1 cup of cooking water just before draining.
• Meanwhile, heat a medium-sized pot or high-sided skillet over medium heat with the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the spinach, pulling it apart as you add it, and season with a little freshly grated nutmeg and salt, and pepper, to taste. When the spinach mixture is warmed through, transfer it to a small dish and reserve. Return the pot to the heat, add the butter and let it melt. Stir in the tomatoes and break them up with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, add the basil leaves, and cook to thicken the sauce, about 7 to 8 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Drain the pasta and return it to the hot pot. To the pasta, add the spinach, reserved pasta cooking water, ricotta cheese, and half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Adjust the salt and pepper, to taste, and transfer it to a baking dish. Top the pasta mixture with the tomato sauce, mozzarella, and remaining Parmigiano. Bake until the cheeses are melted and bubbly, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the shells from the oven and serve.

SHELLS BAKED WITH PESTO-MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• heat oven to 400.
• oil a 13x9 baking dish.
• heat oil in a pan over med- high heat.
• cook onion until it starts to soften.
• add beef and cook until it is no longer pink.
• drain off any excess fat.
• add tomato and salt and bring to a simmer.
• cook about 10 minutes, until most of the tomato liquid evaporates.
• remove from heat and stir in the pesto.
• while all this is going on, you should be cooking your pasta in boiling, salted water.
• drain pasta and toss with the sauce.
• put 1/2 of the pasta in baking dish.
• top with 1/2 the mozzarella and 2 tbsp of the parmesan.
• layer the remaining pasta on top, topping it with the remaining cheeses.
• bake until bubbling.