I really enjoy cooking, but don't take much time to do it. Lately, I've been trying to change that, by making dinner at least once a week for my roommates and friends. It's a great motivator to cook for others, and a great way to get feedback when trying something new. And trying something new is exactly what I did last week. It was a dreary, rainy day that was perfect for pasta, and I had some jumbo shells that I'd been putting off using for quite some time. I looked up quite a few recipes, but didn't like any of them, so I used them as guidelines and made the rest up myself.
As someone who doesn't cook much, going "off book" can be scary, but I find most Italian pasta dishes are pretty safe to experiment with. They also rarely require precision in measuring. Another bonus. So without further ado, here we go.
INGREDIENTS:
Jumbo shells
Tomato sauce (I used a 28oz can but then ended up adding one of the 15oz cans, so depends on how much you want to make - and I wanted to serve 6 people, two of whom can eat a LOT)
1 container ricotta cheese
1/2 container shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 bag (4oz) shredded mozzarella cheese (Plus a little extra for the top)
1.25 lbs of italian sausage
1 half of a small yellow onion
What do you think? Any modifications that you would recommend? We'd love to hear about them!
As someone who doesn't cook much, going "off book" can be scary, but I find most Italian pasta dishes are pretty safe to experiment with. They also rarely require precision in measuring. Another bonus. So without further ado, here we go.
INGREDIENTS:
Jumbo shells
Tomato sauce (I used a 28oz can but then ended up adding one of the 15oz cans, so depends on how much you want to make - and I wanted to serve 6 people, two of whom can eat a LOT)
1 container ricotta cheese
1/2 container shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 bag (4oz) shredded mozzarella cheese (Plus a little extra for the top)
1.25 lbs of italian sausage
1 half of a small yellow onion
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| Key ingredients |
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SHELLS:
1: Chop onions finely and fry in a large frying pan. As they start to cook, add the pork sausage and continue cooking until sausage has browned.
2: While this is cooking, bring a pot of water to boil and cook the shells. When they are finished, go through and make sure they are all separated (some can get stuck together or inside one another) and to save on dishes just leave them in the colander until the stuffing process.
3: In a large bowl mix the three cheeses, and add half (or to your taste) of the sausage and onion mixture.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SAUCE:
1: On medium heat warm the tomato sauce for a couple of minutes. While it is warming, add garlic powder, oregano, basil (fresh if you've got it, dried if you don't), salt and pepper to taste. I usually do between half and a full teaspoon each of oregano and basil, half a teaspoon of garlic and then a couple twists each of salt and pepper.
2: Once the sauce is lightly bubbling (approx. 10 minutes) remove from the stove and stir in the remaining sausage and onion mixture that was held back from the cheese filling.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:
1: Preheat the oven to 350°
2: Get a large pan (I used an oddly sized 12x14 inch pan, but they could've fit in a smaller and more conventional 9x13) and put a little sauce in the bottom. Using a teaspoon put one scoop of mixture into each of the shells (I was overly generous at first, so some were over stuffed and at the end some were a little empty), and then close the shell around the mixture and line them up side by side in the pan. Cover the shells with the sauce, making sure they are all as evenly coated as you can. (Don't miss the corners!) Sprinkle the top with mozzarella.
3: Bake for 20 minutes (or until shells are warmed through)
4: Serve and enjoy!
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| The finished product before it went into the oven |
What do you think? Any modifications that you would recommend? We'd love to hear about them!
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