Unstuffed Shells Pasta Bake

This Unstuffed Shells Pasta Bake offers all the flavors of traditional stuffed shells without the hassle. Tender pasta shells are coated in a creamy blend of ricotta, cream cheese, and Parmesan, layered with a savory marinara and ground beef sauce, and topped with golden, bubbling mozzarella. I frist trieed this recipe when I travelled to Italy last summer.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces medium pasta shells
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta shells and cook until tender yet firm, about 9 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet. Cook ground sirloin, onion, and garlic until browned. Stir in marinara sauce.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, cream cheese, Parmesan, basil, egg, and seasoning.
5. Layer pasta, sauce, and ricotta mixture in the baking dish. Repeat layers.
6. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until golden and bubbly.
7. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Source

Recipe from Allrecipes

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