Johnathan cooks!

Stuffed Shells with Tomato Sauce

My son Johnathan and his girlfriend are taking a Foods class in high school and made Stuffed Shells in class this past week. They liked the dish so much they wanted to make it at home Friday night, so they shopped for groceries and took over the kitchen.

Johnathan has always liked to cook and could easily be a professional chef. He searched through the drawers for a SHARP knife (something I never dare touch for fear of cutting off my own finger, haha) and it was amazing to watch him chop the garlic and parsley lightning fast. He looked just like Emeril! Here is their recipe.


Stuffed Shells with Tomato Sauce
Preparation time: approximately 45 - 60 minutes depending on how fast you can chop :)

Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
24 jumbo pasta shells
1 clove garlic, minced
15 oz. can of tomato sauce
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
4 sprigs chopped fresh parsley (2 sprigs for shell stuffing mixture, 1 sprig for tomato sauce, and 1 sprig to sprinkle over top after shells are baked)
1 cup each ricotta and cottage cheese
½ cup feta
1 egg
1 1/2 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
Optional: Italian Seasoning or Basil/Oregano added to tomato sauce, to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain the pasta in a colander, rinse under cold running water, and set aside to drain again. In saucepan over medium-high heat, heat diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and 1 sprig of chopped parsley (and seasonings if desired), and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375F.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta, cottage cheese, feta, egg, and 2 sprigs of chopped parsley. Dividing evenly, stuff each of the shells with the ricotta mixture. Place the shells in a shallow 11 x 7 baking dish. Pour the tomato sauce over the shells and sprinkle with the mozzarella. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with 1 sprig of chopped parsley.

Serve with salad and toasted garlic bread.

Shells before pouring over sauce