Baked Stuffed Shells

Name: Baked Stuffed Shells
Yield: serves 6 to 8
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 6 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled; Two 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/4 teaspoon peperoncino flakes; Kosher salt; 1 pound large shells; 1 pound fresh ricotta, drained; 8 ounces frozen peas, thawed; 1 pound low-moisture mozzarella, 12 ounces cut into 1/4-inch cubes, 4 ounces shredded; 2 cups grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano; 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley; 1 large egg, beaten

December 14, 2011

I don’t encounter stuffed shells in Italy much; stuffed paccheri (big and floppy rigatoni-lookalikes) are much more common there. But I have sold a lot of stuffed shells throughout my restaurant days. This is comfort food—pasta stuffed with milky ricotta and topped with oozing melted cheese, and just about everybody loves it. It is a common dish, present in many Italian American restaurant menus and households. It is also very convenient, because the oven does the work, and you can feed a large number of guests.

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