Stuffed Shells

24 jumbo pasta shells (about 8 oz.)

1/2 Tbs cooking oil

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

24 oz. marinara sauce

2 Tbs tomato paste

1 tsp Italian seasonings

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1.5 c shredded mozzarella

Cheese filling:

15 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 grated Parmesan

1/4 c fresh chopped parsley

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350℉.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the jumbo shells.  Cook the shells just until they're al dente, making sure not to overcook them.  (The longer they're cooked, the more likely they are to tear when you stuff them.)  Drain the shells in a colander and rinse briefly with cold water and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the cooking oil.  Brown the hamburger and drain any excess fat.  Then add the onions and garlic and sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent.  Add the marinara sauce, tomato paste and seasonings, stir to combine.  Reduce heat to medium-low and allow sauce to simmer, 3-5 minutes.  

While the sauce is simmering, mix together your cheese filling in a medium bowl.  

Layer half of the beef sauce in a casserole dish.  Then stuff each shell with about 1-2 Tbs of the cheese mixture and place in the casserole dish.  Pour remaining beef sauce over the shells, and then sprinkle with 1.5 cups of mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.  

Loosely place some tented aluminum foil over the casserole dish and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for 5-10 more minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

From Budget Bytes