Stuffed Shells Bolognese
Course: RecipeServings
4
servingsActive Time
40
minutesTotal time
40
minutesCost Per Meal/Person
$1.88
This recipe is from a 2018 issue of Food Network magazine. My daughter asked if we could make this and it was a big hit! I rarely make stuffed pastas but I really do enjoy them and the Bolognese sauce was delicious! Image from
foodnetwork.com
Ingredients
Kosher salt
16-20 jumbo pasta shells (about 6 ounces)
2 TSP extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz extra-lean ground beef
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
3 TBS tomato paste
1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Freshly ground pepper
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1 & ½ cups cooking water, then drain the pasta and rinse under cold water; set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, 5 minutes. Add the garlic; cook 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium; add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 cup of the reserved pasta water and ½ tsp salt. Let simmer while you stuff the shells (see step 4), about 5 minutes, adding more pasta water if the sauce gets too thick.
- Preheat the broiler.
- Mix the ricotta, egg, ¼ cup shredded cheese, ½ tsp salt and a few dashes of pepper in a bowl. Stuff 1 TBS of the mixture into each shell; arrange seam-side up in the skillet, if using an oven proof skillet. If you don’t have an oven proof skillet, spoon half the sauce into the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish, place the shells in the baking dish, then spoon the extra sauce around the shells. Top with the remaining ¼ cup shredded cheese; broil until bubbling, 5 minutes, watching carefully since the broiler can go very quickly! Remove from oven and enjoy!
Total Cost of meal
- 1/2 lb. ground beef= $1.50
Pasta shells= $1.50
Crushed tomatoes & paste, egg, garlic= $1.75
Ricotta cheese & shredded cheese= $2.75
Total Cost for 4 Meals = $7.50
