Stuffed Shells a la DWIL
Ingredients:
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Dried basil
Dried oregano
1/2 box jumbo pasta shells
1-1/2 finely chopped onions (more or less depending on your preference)
About 2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 lb each ground beef and ground sausage
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 large tub ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups grated mozzarella cheese
Any kind of sauce you prefer (my grandmother makes her own but I have yet to get her recipe...)
Bring your pot of water to a boil, you can a little olive oil and a little salt to it. Put your shells in and cook them almost through, but not all the way done as they will finish in the oven. Drain these and CAREFULLY (super hot) separate them so they do not stick together.
While your shells are cooking, you can put a little olive oil in a pan and toss in your minced garlic and onions to cook until soft. Then add your meat and continue to cook, seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Add the spinach last and cook only for a few minutes. Drain your meat of the grease when finished.
In a bowl, mix together your meat/spinach, ricotta, parmesan, and HALF of the mozzarella. Also add your basil and oregano and more salt and pepper if you'd like. Since everything is cooked, I taste as I go and determine what else is needed.
You will need a baking dish, I usually go with the throw away foil ones you can get at any dollar store because they make for easy clean up. My grandmother uses olive oil to coat the bottom of the dish, I prefer using the sauce. Spoon your bowl mixture into the shells, fill them however full you'd like. I always end up with too many shells or left over ricotta. Arrange them in the dish open side face up. Pour your sauce over the shells, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top, and bake uncovered at 350 until the cheese is nice and bubbly and there you have it. Stuffed shells.
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Dried basil
Dried oregano
1/2 box jumbo pasta shells
1-1/2 finely chopped onions (more or less depending on your preference)
About 2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 lb each ground beef and ground sausage
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 large tub ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups grated mozzarella cheese
Any kind of sauce you prefer (my grandmother makes her own but I have yet to get her recipe...)
Bring your pot of water to a boil, you can a little olive oil and a little salt to it. Put your shells in and cook them almost through, but not all the way done as they will finish in the oven. Drain these and CAREFULLY (super hot) separate them so they do not stick together.
While your shells are cooking, you can put a little olive oil in a pan and toss in your minced garlic and onions to cook until soft. Then add your meat and continue to cook, seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Add the spinach last and cook only for a few minutes. Drain your meat of the grease when finished.
In a bowl, mix together your meat/spinach, ricotta, parmesan, and HALF of the mozzarella. Also add your basil and oregano and more salt and pepper if you'd like. Since everything is cooked, I taste as I go and determine what else is needed.
You will need a baking dish, I usually go with the throw away foil ones you can get at any dollar store because they make for easy clean up. My grandmother uses olive oil to coat the bottom of the dish, I prefer using the sauce. Spoon your bowl mixture into the shells, fill them however full you'd like. I always end up with too many shells or left over ricotta. Arrange them in the dish open side face up. Pour your sauce over the shells, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top, and bake uncovered at 350 until the cheese is nice and bubbly and there you have it. Stuffed shells.