The Greatest Stuffed Shells

By bunny_cupcake

This recipe is where cheese comes to die. Pine nuts, basil chiffonade, lemon zest and spicy italian sausage give this baked classic a fresh, full bodied kick.

Ingredients

• 8 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 1/2 pounds ricotta
• 1 pound shredded mozzarella
• 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 6 or 7 leaves fresh basil chiffonade
• 1 cup toasted pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 45mins
Cooking time 55mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven or to 450.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add shells. Cook about 12 minutes, til pasta is al dente but undercooked in the middle.
While pasta cooks, combine ricotta, 1/2 of the mozzarella, and 1 cup of the parmesan. Add parsley, basil, pine nuts, and lemon zest. Stir, set aside.
In a medium skillet, heat oil and add garlic and onion. Saute 5 minutes. Add sausage, breaking it up into small pieces with a spatula, and cook until sausage is completely browned, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper. Simmer sauce 5 minutes.
Pour a coating of sauce into the bottom of a shallow medium sized casserole dish. Fill shells with rounded spoonfuls of cheese mixture and arrange them seam side down in the dish. Top shells with remaining sauce and remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
Place shells in very hot oven or 8 inches from hot broiler and cook 6 to 8 minutes to melt cheeses and bubble sauce.