Loaded Stuffed Shells

Makes: 42 stuffed shells

I bought ready baked shells hoping it would be easy to fill and quicker than having to boil the pasta first however even after adding water after 20 minutes of cooking they didn’t cook enough after an hour in the oven. The filling is absolutely delicious and I’ve adjusted this recipe to using cooked pasta shells.

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter

¼ to ½ cup of flour

1 cup milk

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp dried basil

1 bottle passata tomato sauce

1 tsp Lawry’s garlic salt or salt and pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

½ cup chopped shallots

½ cup chopped bell pepper

½ cup chopped zucchini

1 serrano pepper finely chopped

1 pound ground turkey

½ pound ground pork

1 tsp Lawry’s garlic salt or salt and pepper

½ tsp dried rosemary

½ tsp dried thyme

3 cups fresh spinach

Cooking spray

42 cooked large pasta shells

¼ cup parmesan cheese

1 ½ cup shredded Friulano cheese (Montasio)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 390°F

2. In medium saucepan melt butter and whisk in flour until it becomes a thick paste

3. Add milk until paste is dissolved

4. Add parmesan cheese and stir until creamy sauce, take off heat and set aside

5. Heat 1 tbsp oil in medium skillet and add minced garlic and basil and cook until garlic is golden

6. Pour in passata sauce, bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer

7. Heat 2 tbsp oil in large skillet and add shallots, pepper, zucchini and serrano pepper

8. Cook until shallots are soft, add meat, garlic salt, rosemary and thyme and sauté until cooked

9. Add spinach to meat m and keep stirring until spinach is cooked

10. Pour the cream sauce into the mixture and mix until well blended

11. Take both sauce and meat mixture off of heat

12. Spray 9 x 11 inch baking pan and pour half the sauce into the pan

13. Fill shells and place into baking pan

14. Place any extra meat mixture around shells

15. Top each shell with some tomato sauce

16. Sprinkle shells with parmesan

17. Top with shredded cheese and bake for ½ hour until cheese is bubbly and golden

Serve with a side green salad

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  Fully loaded shells

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  Ingredients

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  Adding flour to melted butter

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  Whisk thick paste

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  Whisk in milk

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  Add cheese

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  Sauté garlic and basil

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  Pour in passata

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  Simmer the sauce

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  Sauté shallots pepper zucchini

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  Add meat and spices

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  Add spinach to cooked meat mix

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  Pour in cream sauce

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  Ready to fill shells

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  Spray pan and pour 1/2 sauce

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  Fill shells and place in pan

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  Shred the Friulano cheese

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  Sprinkle shell with parmesan

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  Sprinkle with Friulano cheese

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  Ready to plate

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  Yummy gooey pasta shells