Six cheese stuffed shells
with vodka meat sauce
Me and my family{ here in NYC around 25-30 crazy family members} get together every christmas for a big holiday party. So , we prepare a holiday menu . Add this recipe is one of the dishes that’s been selected by my family. Yes, it’s a lot of cheese. Just the way I like it. I”m making two large pans. One with the vodka sauce and one kid-friendly, without vodka . If you try this dish, you can use a store brought sauce or make your own. I really like to make my own, but, sometimes you get busy and can”t. Not everyone has the time . So, I listed below my favorite vodka sauces and vodka sauce recipe . By the way, this is the perfect make ahead meals for the week. Which I will be introducing after the new year. So please come check it out.
My favorite store brands are:
Rao’s Vodka Sauce
www.raos.com
Bertolli® Italian Vodka Sauce
villabertolli.com
Victoria’s Vodka Sauce
www.victoriafinefoods.com
6 cheese stuffed shells with vodka meat sauce
Stuff cheese with cheese mixture
Top it with remaining cheese mixture
Remove from oven, cool just a couple of mins and serve.
Total time:1 hr 15 mins
Prep Time:35 mins
Cook Time:40 mins
Ingredients
One 6-ounce box jumbo pasta shells
8 ounces lean ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups part skim ricotta
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1 teaspoon oregano
vodka pasta sauce or your favorite pasta sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Nonstick spray
6 cheese Itailian shredded blend
1/2 cup of Mozzarella
1/4 cup of Provolone
1 1/4 cup of Parmesan
1/4 cup of Fontina
1/2 cup of Romano
1/2 cup of Asiago
Make your own Opt:
Vodka sauce recipe
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
Coarse salt and pepper
Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the olive oil, butter, garlic and shallots. Gently sauté the shallots for 3-5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add the vodka to the pan – three turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce the vodka by half, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and the tomatoes. Bring the sauce to a bubble and reduce the heat to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Stir the cream into the sauce. When the sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from the heat.
Directions
1.Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the shells for 1 minute less than indicated on the box. Drain and let cool. Spray a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
2.Heat a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey meat and cook until browned, while stirring and breaking up with the back of a big spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and season with salt & pepper. Simmer on medium-low, uncovered, until meat is cook about 12-18 minutes. Add in basil at the end.
3.In a bowl, Combine the egg, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of six cheeses, basil, oregano, salt and 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese . Put the mixture in the shells like a tablespoon and half into each one line them up in across casserole pan. Combine meat and vodka pasta sauce; pour over shells.
4.Add remaining parmesan and six cheeses and bake at 350 for 15-30 mins or until light golden brown.
5.Take out and let it set for a few minutes. Then serve .
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