sausage stuffed pasta shells
I tried a recipe from Everyday Pasta by Giada De Laurentiis about a year ago. I don’t love ground turkey or parsley, and didn’t want to bother with the artichokes, so I changed it to meet my needs. I made it Sunday night and timed myself so that I could let you know actual time to prepare. This is my version of the recipe:
1 Box Jumbo Pasta Shells
1/2 Yellow Onion
3 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
2 Pounds Sausage (I just use Jimmy Dean Regular)
15 Ounces Ricotta Cheese
1 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan (Don’t buy pre-grated, it makes a difference)
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Chopped Basil
8 Cups Sauce (Just your favorite store brand. Your kids won’t know the difference. For that matter, neither would fancy guests.)
2 Cups Grated Mozzarella (Buy a bag already grated)
5:00 Started Process
Boil shells in large pot of salted water. Drain and then immediately take out of strainer with tongs and separate on wax paper. Otherwise they will stick together.
While boiling, put sausage in a skillet and brown. When sausage is browned removed from pan with slotted spoon, leaving grease in pan to saute onions and garlic.
5:15 Had to stop and look for Colton
Colton aka: Moose, Duece, Colt, CJ
Age: 6
Favorite Word: Fart
Hobbies: Playing in the dirt, setting off fire alarms at preschool and bossing people around.
Best Qualities: The sweetest disposition this side of the Mississippi.’s shoes. Because apparently a grown man, a twelve year old and a three year old are incapable of finding them. They are however excellent and standing at the bottom of the stairs and yelling at me to find them. All three yelled it. Not kidding.
Chop onion, garlic and basil.
5:25 Had to go attend to Colton who is crying hysterically because he isn’t allowed to “help” Noah
Noah aka: Mac Daddy
Age: 15
"Special" Qualities: Holds a grudge for longer than you can remember the offense. Talks nonstop
Best Qualities: Wakes up with a smile every day and walks to the beat of his own drum. vacuum my car. If only Noah wanted to do it that much.
After you have removed sausage, add onions and garlic to pan and saute until onion is soft and starting to brown. Every recipe says to do this over medium-high heat. They must not have kids in need. Every time I use that temp, I end up breaking up a wrestling match downstairs and charring my onions. Not good. Use medium to medium-low heat.
5:45 Field phone call from friend going through divorce.
Grated Parmesan.
5:55 Go to refrigerator to take out cheese and find that ricotta has frozen. Does anyone else have a brand new side by side fridge that freezes your food if it is pushed against the middle where the two sides are separated? Dude. After ranting about how much we pay for the appliances and how he is tired of shit not working and saying the word fuck about 7 times, my husband heads to the store to replace the cheese for me.
6:09 Pouring a glass of wine.
6:15 Hubby is home with the cheese. My hero.
In a bowl combine everything except mozzarella cheese and shells. Put one cup of sauce in the bottom of each casserole dish. Stuff each shell and place in dish. Pour remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle mozzarella over top and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
6:30 Shells in the oven.
Makes about 24 shells. You can halve the recipe if you don’t have four boys eating at your house or you can freeze half. When freezing, do all steps above, including sauce and mozzarella and then put in the freezer, cover tightly. Good for a month in the freezer.
Total Cook & Prep Time
According to cookbook: 1 hour
With real life interruptions: 1 hour and 55 minutes
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