When it comes to masteringItalian-American recipes, learning how to make stuffed shells should be at the top of your list. Packed with traditional Italian-American flavors—a tangy tomato sauce, creamy ricotta cheese filling—stuffed shells are a filling, hearty meal that always hits the spot. Of course, it's great to make in a big baking dish, but it also makes for a surprisingly impressive presentation when baked inindividual serving dishes.
Don't know how to make stuffed shells?This recipecomes from one of the godmothers of Italian cuisine in America,Lidia Bastianich, and delivers gems of wisdom along with the basic technique. So roll up your sleeves, grab the shells andricotta, and get to stuffing!
1. Drain the Ricotta
In order to make the filling rich and creamy instead of loose and wet, start by draining the ricotta of excess whey. First, line a colander or fine-mesh seize with cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Add the ricotta, cover the bowl, and chill for at least 8 hours (or up to overnight).
2. Make the Tomato Sauce
The second step of any great stuffed shell is the sauce. Bastianich's recipe calls for making a fresh tomato sauce by making a puree from whole canned tomatoes (afood millor a food processor works great for this), then cooking the puree down with garlic, red-pepper flakes, and basil. For an easier version, you can also use Marcella Hazan's classicthree-ingredient tomato sauce(只是罐装番茄,洋葱和黄油)。或an even easier approach, try these tips for jazzing up ajar of canned sauce.
3. Make the Cheese Filling
When the ricotta has drained, it's time to make the cheese filling. Discard the whey that's drained from the ricotta (or blend it into asmoothie), then mix the drained ricotta with some cubed fresh mozzarella, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and herbs in a medium bowl.Some recipesalso include Pecorino Romano in their cheese mixture;othersalso add spinach at this point. Season the mixture to taste, then beat an egg and stir it in; this will help bind everything together when the shells cook.
4. Cook the Shells
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and stir the shells into the water. Bastianich recommends cooking the shellsveryal dente, until softened but still quite firm, about 7 minutes. If you cook the shells too long, they'll tear when you try to stuff them, and the pasta will end up mushy, since it continues to cook as the stuffed shells bake. Use a slotted spoon to remove the shells from boiling water and transfer to a bowl of cool water to stop the cooking.
5. Stuff the Shells
Once cooled, drain the shells and get ready to stuff. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line the bottom of a medium baking dish, about 10-by-15 inches, with 3/4 cup tomato sauce. Carefully spoon 2 tablespoons of filling into each shell, nestling the shells into the baking dish. The shells will be filled, but not overstuffed. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, coating each one. Arrange thinly sliced pieces of fresh mozzarella in a single layer over the shells.
Pro tip: For a more impressive presentation, or freezer-ready individual portions, divide shells and sauce between small baking dishes, then top each with the sliced mozzarella.
6. Bake and Serve
Now that you've assembled the stuffed shells, bake them until the mozzarella is browned and bubbling on top, about 25 minutes. Remove, and let stand 5 minutes before serving. For a truly classic Italian-American meal, add a side ofgarlic breadand a bottle of Chianti.Buon Appetito!
