Ahhh cheese... Apparently it’s not “socially acceptable” to eat spoonfuls of ricotta out of the container like it’s yogurt. So we like to fall back on the classics to create a vessel for our cheese addiction and this dish will have you wishing you doubled the recipe. A new way to enjoy pesto, these stuffed shells are sure to impress everyone at the dinner table.
What you’ll need:
Tools:
Ingredients:
1. Cook pasta shells to al dente per the package instructions in a large pot of salted water. Remove pasta from the pot and cool in a large bowl of water. Drain well and spread cooked shells on a baking sheet or cutting board lined with a kitchen towel so they don’t stick together.
2. Mix together the pasta filling by combining the ricotta, eggs, spinach, scallions, parsley, thyme, lemon zest and juice, crushed red pepper to taste, and grated cheeses. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Preheat the oven to 375F and lightly oil a large shallow baking dish, using multiple dishes if necessary. With a spoon, scoop about 1 tablespoon of the ricotta mixture into each pasta shell and fill the baking dish in a single layer, packing the filled shells next to each other. Use a culinary brush to gently coat the surface of the pasta lightly with olive oil.
4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup pecorino and nut or bread crumbs over top the shells and bake, uncovered, for about 15-20 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.
5. Drizzle the shells with a little pesto and serve with extra pesto and cheese on the table. Enjoy!
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