Four Cheese Small Shells is great if I am cooking for a crowd with children. I like taking different vegetables and mixing them into the layered pasta dish. Shredding the vegetables or putting them into a food processor helps hide the look of them in the sauce. Try adding shredded carrots, minced peppers, broccoli, etc.
I have become a big fan of freezer meals because life gets busy and it is nice to pull out a homemade meal in a pinch. This dish freezes really well and I be sure to freeze some every time I make it.
Stove Top and Oven
Recipe serves: 8
Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup
Total time: 90 minutes
Let's grocery shop!
I am assuming you have salt and pepper. It is not included in pantry and spices.
Pantry & Spices
-
olive oil
-
italian seasoning
-
red pepper flakes
Grocery
-
1 zucchini
-
1 portobello mushrooms 8 oz
-
1 onion
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1 bulb garlic
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1 box small pasta shells 16 oz
-
1 tub ricotta cheese 15 oz
-
1 bag shredded mozzarella cheese
-
1 jar marinara sauce 24 oz
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1 bag sliced provolone
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1 tub grated parmesan romano cheese
-
1 container of eggs 1/2 dozen
Let's prep!
1 box small pasta shells 16 oz. |
1 teaspoon olive oil |
1 medium zucchini |
8 oz portobello mushrooms |
1 medium onion |
2 cups ricotta cheese |
½ cup mozzarella cheese |
½ cup provolone cheese |
3/4 cup grated parmesan romano cheese, divided |
1 egg |
2 teaspoons italian seasoning |
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes |
24 oz meatless spaghetti sauce |
2 garlic cloves |
- Gather all of the ingredients and measuring tools
- Mince 2 garlic cloves and place in a small prep bowl; set aside
- Shred and squeeze dry 1 medium zucchini; set aside
- Dice 1 onion; set aside
- Chop mushrooms; set aside
- Measure into a large bowl:
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan-Reggiano
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; stir to combine; Set aside.
- Tear 3 slices of provolone cheese into ½ inch strips.
Let's cook!
- Complete prep from prep step above.
- Start a large pot of water and cook 1 pound small pasta shells to al dente.
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Heat a sauté pan then add:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- shredded zucchini
- onion
- mushrooms
- Cook until onions are soft about 4 – 5 minutes
- Add garlic for 1 minute
- Remove from heat
- Drain the pasta
- Add 1.5 cups of pasta sauce to the bottom of the pan then:
- add ½ the noodles
- top the noodles with sautéed vegetables spreading evenly
- top the vegetables with the cheese mixture spreading evenly
- top the cheese mixture with torn slices of provolone cheese
- add the rest of the noodles over the cheese
- add the remainder of the sauce to the top spreading evenly
- sprinkle ¼ cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano over the sauce.
- Bake covered for 40 minutes then uncovered for 10 minutes longer. Rest for 15 minutes.
This recipe can also be found in Weekly Dinners for 4 under $100 – Menu 7
