Meals (Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce)

By chefbobby

Ingredients

• Meat Sauce:
• 6 ounces 93 percent lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
• Stuffed Shells:
• Salt
• 1 (12-ounce) box jumbo pasta shells
• 12 saltines, broken into pieces
• 2-1/2 cups fat-free cottage cheese, drained if necessary
• 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

1) Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Pulse beef and soy sauce in food processor until well combined; transfer to medium bowl. Add tomatoes to processor and pulse until coarsely ground.

2) Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in beef mixture, breaking up with a wooden spoon, and cook just until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in processed tomatoes and salt and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 25 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil; set aside. (Sauce can be refrigerated in airtight container for 3 days.)

3) Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and shells and cook until al dente, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain shells and transfer to kitchen towel-lined baking sheet. Reserve 24 shells, discarding any that have broken.

4) Pulse crackers in clean food processor bowl until finely ground. Add cottage cheese, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella, parmesan, basil, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and process until smooth; transfer to large plastic storage bag. Using scissors, cut off 1 corner of bag and pipe 2 tablespoons filling into each shell.

5) Spread half of meat sauce over bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Arrange filled shells, seam side up, over sauce in dish. Spread remaining sauce over shells. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until bubbling around edges, 35-40 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Serve