Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells

By Jackie618

Recipe from Rachael Ray

This tasty recipe is easy to prepare for four or forty. You can get creative and add shredded chicken to the stuffing or ground meat, sausage or mushrooms to the sauce.

Ingredients

• * Salt
• 8 * 8 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 1/2 * 1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese or part skim ricotta cheese
• 1 * 1 pound mozzarella, diced
• 1/2 * 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 1 * 1 cup shredded Asiago cheese
• 1/4 * 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• 2 * 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), about 2 turns of the pan
• 3 * 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 * 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 * 1 large can crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
• * Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 * 6 or 7 leaves fresh basil, torn or shredded

Preparation

Step 1

Pre-heat oven or broiler to 450°F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water and add pasta. Cook shells 12-15 minutes; they should be softened but still undercooked at the center. Drain pasta and cool.

Combine ricotta, half of the diced mozzarella, a couple of handfuls of Parmigiano Reggiano and half of the Asiago cheese. Add parsley to the cheeses and stir to combine.

To a small saucepot over moderate heat add oil, garlic and onions. Sauté onions and garlic for five minutes. Add tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper. Simmer sauce five minutes and stir in basil leaves.

Pour a little sauce into the bottom of a shallow medium size casserole dish. Fill shells with rounded spoonfuls of cheese mixture and arrange them seam side down in casserole dish. Top shells with remaining sauce and remaining mozzarella and Asiago cheeses. Place shells in very hot oven or eight inches from hot broiler and cook 6-8 minutes to melt cheeses and bubble sauce.