Pasta Stuffed Shells

This recipe is so unique. Yet delicate,  neat, delicious and a wonderful tiny finger food. It is like a personal sized lasagna. In each shell like cup there is every ingredient that makes up a lasagna.

Be creative. Stuff your shells with whatever you want. The great thing about this is it requires very, very little meat.So it is cheaper to make. I made 26 pasta shells with about 1 cup of minced meat.

I've done these pasta stuffed shells about 10 different ways. I have done it with shrimp inside and a white cream sauce, I've done it with chicken, I've done it just with ricotta cheese and spinach, done it with cottage cheese instead of ricotta, done it with ground beef like this one and many other ways.

How It's Done

1 Box Pasta Shells (sold in your regular grocery store,almost every store has them. I have bought them before in London and in the U.S. you just need to search on the pasta isle. They are normally easy to find)

Very little meat (use as little or as much meat as you have. The more meat the more pasta shells. read above for the types of meat you can use)
Ricotta or Cottage cheese
Mozerella shredded cheese
Tomatoe sauce or white sauce heavy cream
1/3 of an onion & pepper (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)


Take your pasta shells and cook them just as you would pasta. In boiling water with a bit of oil and salt for 14 minutes. Once it is cooked, drain it and set it aside. while you prepare the filling.

In a separate pot put some oil, and your onion, pepper and garlic cook for about 2 minutes until golden brown. Then add in your meat. (In my case it was ground minced meat) Cook and season just a little. Then add your tomato or white sauce to the meat. Cook for about another 2 minutes. Then set aside.

Get a pyrex that you will use to put the shells on and put in it about 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce and a little bit of water. mix it around and let it completely cover the bottom of the pyrex. (This serves to not allow the shells to stick to the tray.)

Take a teaspoon and get out all of your ingredients needed,Place them all on the table in front of you.
Preheat Oven to 350F or 180C


The Assembling of the Shells

Take your shell then scoop 1 teaspoon of the meat, then immediately on top 1 teaspoon of the ricotta or cottage cheese,then 1 teaspoon tomato or white sauce, then a tiny sprinkle of the mozzarella cheese on top.Place it into your pyrex.

Do this over and over again until you have done each shell. Once completed cover your pyrex with aluminum foil and place shells in the oven for about 15 minutes until the cheese melts and is golden brown.

Your done. Serve and enjoy. tastes great with rice and vegetables

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