My cheese stuffed jumbo pasta shells have a secret ingredient – Olivelle Pizzaolio Infused Olive Oil. Tastes like pizza in a bottle! Tuscan olive oil with garlic, basil, rosemary, oregano and spicy chilies (for just a hint of spiciness).
You know how sometimes pasta with meat sauce can be dry? I solved that problem by adding a little heavy cream over the casserole which infuses the shells with just the right amount of moisture. Italian and provolone cheeses gives the dish ooey gooey cheesy goodness.
Cheese Stuffed Shells
Equipment
- 1 baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage
- 3/4 pound ground beef
- 18 jumbo pasta shells
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons Olivelle PizzaOlio infused olive oil
- 1/2 chopped onion
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes I like Cento brand for this recipe
- 1 tablespoon Cavenders Greek Seasoning
- 20 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- 15 ounce container Ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups 5 cheese Italian shredded cheese Kraft brand
- 6 slices provolone cheese Tillamook brand
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, cook and brown Italian sausage and ground beef. Remove from heat and drain off fat.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Fill large saucepan with water, about 3/4 full. Add salt. Bring water to a boil on the stove.
- Add shells to boiling water, reduce to medium high heat and boil shells for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain water off of shells.
- Place frying pan with sausage and ground beef back on stove, medium heat. Add PizzaOlio olive oil, stir. Add onions and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent (about 1 -2 minutes). Add crushed tomatoes and stir.
- Add Cavenders Greek Seasoning and basil to sausage mixture. Stir. Cook for 10 minutes over medium low heat.
- In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese and egg.
- Place pasta shells in baking dish. Use a large spoon to put ricotta in shells.
- Sprinkle Italian shredded cheese over shells. Top with slices of provolone cheese.
- Top cheese with 3 cups of the sausage/ground beef mixture. Spread evenly over cheese.
- Pour cream carefully over the sausage/ground beef mixture. Let the cream seep into the shells, using a spoon to smooth cream over the top.
- Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Place baking dish on a baking sheet with sides (to catch any drips if casserole bubbles over in the oven), Bake for 30 minutes covered, then uncover and bake 30 more minutes.
