Cheesy Stuffed Shells with Pesto and Ricotta

servings: 6

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Ingredients

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. (If freezing and saving for later, disregard this step now.)
COOK shells by following the package directions, or 8-10 minutes, until al dente. When done, rinse the noodles in cool water.
COMBINE the ricotta, half of the shredded cheddar, pesto, Parmesan cheese, oregano and garlic salt in a bowl. Mix all of these ingredients together until smooth.
POUR half of the jar of pasta sauce into a 9×12 baking or casserole dish.
FILL the cooked, cooled shells with ricotta-pesto mixture. Place stuffed shells into the pasta sauce in the baking dish in rows.
TOP the shells with the remaining pasta sauce and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Cover loosely with foil.
BAKE in preheated oven for 45 – 50 minutes, removing foil half-way through, until top is golden and bubbly. Alternatively see freezing directions below.

To freeze for future meals, cover the unbaked dish with foil and freeze. Make sure to include thawing and cooking directions on top of the foil. When ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or cook straight from the freezer. Plan a full extra hour to bake if cooking from frozen. Pre-baked shells can also be frozen and reheated.

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PREHEAT oven to 375°F. (If freezing and saving for later, disregard this step now.)
COOK shells by following the package directions, or 8-10 minutes, until al dente. When done, rinse the noodles in cool water.
COMBINE the ricotta, half of the shredded cheddar, pesto, Parmesan cheese, oregano and garlic salt in a bowl. Mix all of these ingredients together until smooth.
POUR half of the jar of pasta sauce into a 9×12 baking or casserole dish.
FILL the cooked, cooled shells with ricotta-pesto mixture. Place stuffed shells into the pasta sauce in the baking dish in rows.
TOP the shells with the remaining pasta sauce and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Cover loosely with foil.
BAKE in preheated oven for 45 – 50 minutes, removing foil half-way through, until top is golden and bubbly. Alternatively see freezing directions below.

To freeze for future meals, cover the unbaked dish with foil and freeze. Make sure to include thawing and cooking directions on top of the foil. When ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or cook straight from the freezer. Plan a full extra hour to bake if cooking from frozen. Pre-baked shells can also be frozen and reheated.