Stuffed Shells

For our weekly Thursday dinner, we decided on Italian this week. We'd already done lasagna over the summer and were looking for something simple and fast. After last week's spare ribs needed two hours in the oven, eating before 10PM sounded like a solid plan. The version of stuffed shells we made is a little different from the recipe below. I forgot to reserve cheese to sprinkle over the top and we didn't use any Parmesan at all. There are a few other small changes too. Its always good to have an idea of how you could improve the recipe the next time you make it. To save time we used a jar of tomato sauce. My personal favorites are Emeril's and Barilla, but use whatever you like most.

Stuffed Shells
1 Box Jumbo Shells
2 lbs Ricotta Cheese
1 lb Mozzarella Cheese, Grated
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese, shredder
1/2 Cup Parsley, chopped

1) Cook the shells in boiling water according to the directions on the package. I like to add some salt and olive oil to the water for taste before the pasta goes in.
2) Mix together all the ricotta with most of the mozzarella and Parmesan. Save some of the last two cheeses to top the dish with. Combine the parsley with the cheese mixture. If you feel adventurous you can add in a little garlic salt.
3) Use a spoon to help fill the shells with the cheese and place each shell in a baking pan with the open side down.
4) Top the shells with the sauce and finish with the leftover mozzarella and Parmesan.
5) Bake for 30 minutes at 350F, until the cheese on top is bubbly and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. You want to let the cheese set a bit or else it will turn into a huge mess.

Enjoy!