Scrumptious Stuffed Shells

Do you ever just get a craving that comes out of nowhere and you have to have it like.. 5 minutes ago? That was me this week with stuffed shells. It has been a long time since I’ve whipped up a batch of them and I was quickly reminded how delicious they were. They will definitely be a part of our menu rotation for the next few months as the weather gets colder!

You’ll need:
· One 16-oz box of jumbo shells
· One pound of ground beef (you can omit this, or use your meat of choice)
· One 32-oz container of ricotta cheese
· 8 oz of grated Parmesan cheese
· 3/4 cup of Romano cheese
· 1 egg
· Salt and pepper, to taste
· 1 tbsp of fresh parsley
· 1 tbsp of fresh basil
· 8 oz of shredded mozzarella
· 2 jars of your favorite pasta sauce (or make your own!)

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350º
2. Boil a pot of water. Add the pasta shells and cook a few minutes less than package instructions (I boiled mine for about 10 minutes).
3. While the pasta is boiling, mix your ricotta, parmesan, romano, egg, salt, pepper, parsley, and basil together.
3. In a separate pan, cook ground beef, drain grease, and add your pasta sauce. I like to add in my own spices (onion and garlic salt, a little extra parmesan cheese, and my mom’s secret ingredient, a hint of brown sugar to cut some of the acidity).
4. Rinse cooked shells in cool water.
5. Coat a 9×13 baking pan with a thin layer of sauce to prevent the shells from sticking.
6. Fill each shell with the cheese mixture and place face down in the baking pan. Repeat until the mixture is gone.
7. Top the shells with sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
8. Bake, uncovered, 25 minutes (or until cheese is bubbly).
9. Serve with French bread, if desired.

What is your recipe to make that warms you up when the weather outside starts to get colder? I would love to add some more meals to our lineup!