Unstuffed Shells Jeff Mauro Recipes

BABY SHELLS BECHAMEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place tomatoes in an oven-safe skillet. Toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes until dark and blistered, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, heat butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until melted, then add flour and whisk until smooth and thickened. Cook, whisking, but do not let darken, only about 2 minutes. Slowly add warm milk, whisking constantly. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer.
• Place tomatoes in a blender or mini food processor and carefully blend until smooth.
• Add pureed tomatoes to bechamel. Season to taste, and continue to cook until desired thickness has been reached, another minute or two. Add drained pasta directly to bechamel and stir until every shell is coated and pasta is perfectly al dente. Garnish with fresh basil, additional black pepper and shaved Parmesan.

SPINACH AND MUSHROOM STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet with the oil and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and set aside for making the Vodka Sauce. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well. Arrange the pasta in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
• In a food processor, add the mushrooms and shallot and pulse until chopped into about 1/8-inch pieces. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the spinach to the skillet and cover to allow the spinach to wilt, about 2 minutes more. Stir in the parsley and transfer to a large bowl.
• In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, pine nuts, basil chiffonade, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Combine the cheese mixture with the mushroom mixture. Stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the filling.
• In the skillet where the mushrooms were cooked, add about 1 cup Vodka Sauce and spread it in an even layer. Arrange the stuffed shells in a circular pattern. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups sauce, 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1/2 cup mozzarella in between and on top of the shells (leaving the tops of the shells mostly exposed). Cover and cook over medium heat until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 10 minutes.
• Garnish with more Parmesan and basil leaves, and serve.
• In a large skillet over low heat, add the butter, onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the tomatoes, cream, vodka, tomato paste, 1/2 cup pasta cooking water and salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, adding more reserved pasta water as needed.

MAKE-AHEAD UNSTUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt. Meanwhile, brown meat in large skillet; Drain. Stir in pasta sauce; simmer on medium heat 2 min. Remove from heat.
• Drain pasta. Mix cream cheese spread, basil, Parmesan, milk and Italian seasoning in large bowl until blended; stir in pasta. Spread half the meat sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover with layers of pasta mixture and remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella; cover with Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil. Refrigerate up to 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 375ºF. Bake casserole, covered, 40 to 45 min. or until heated through, uncovering after 30 min.