Stuffed Shells for baby Caleb

Our good friends Erick and Megan just had their second child 2 weeks ago, so tonight we took them a meal in honor of baby Caleb. It was fun to hang out and eat with them and let our kids play together. Our Ben just can't get enough of Caleb's big brother Bradley's cars and trucks (Ben plays with Lydia's baby dolls and toy kitchen here!). We're gonna miss our friends while we're gone for a month, so it's great to share life together now before we leave. Congrats, Holm family!

Tonight I made Stuffed Shells. Basically it's lasagna ingredients, minus the mozarella, stuffed into large pasta shells. Makes 8 servings, so 4 adults and 2 1/2 kids ate it tonight along with homemade artisan bread and salad, and half of it was left for the Holms to enjoy another night. Yay for not having to cook meals when you've just had a newborn!

 

I forgot to take a picture tonight since we ate at a friends house, so here's the professional pic from the BHG website. Don't expect the rest of my food pics to be this good!

12  oz. dried jumbo pasta shells (about 35 shells)
3  T extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2  lb. lean ground beef
2  cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (I used 3 cloves)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
2  28-oz. cans San Marzano® tomatoes or whole tomatoes
1  15-oz. carton whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 1/3  cups grated or finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (I used parmesan)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 15x10x1-inch baking sheet and a 3-quart oval or rectangular baking dish.
2. Bring a large pot of water, with 1 tablespoon salt added, to boiling. Add pasta shells and cook just until slightly tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain pasta and spread in a single layer on baking sheet to prevent them from sticking together.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add beef and 1 clove of garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 6 to 8 minutes, until no pink remains in beef. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.
4. For tomato sauce, in a second skillet over low heat combine remaining olive oil, remaining garlic, and undrained tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a simmer over low heat; cook for 15 to 20 minutes until thickened somewhat, breaking up tomatoes with the back of spoon.
5. Stir 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce into cooled ground beef, then add ricotta and 2/3 cup of the Parmigiano; stir until combined.
6. Spoon 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce into prepared baking dish. Fill each pasta shell with about 1 tablespoon meat and cheese mixture. Arrange shells in prepared baking dish. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over shells, then sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup cheese.
7. Bake about 30 minutes, until filling is heated through and top is golden brown.