Stuffed Shells

This recipes has all of my favorites! Cheese, more cheese, ground turkey, artichokes and ricotta. All of these combined make a decadent pasta dish that you will want to make again and again. This isn't the simplest recipe. I use it for special occasions, but you will find yourself making any day a special one just so you have an excuse to make this. Best part is that it makes a ton, and is a perfect freezer meal- making the extra labor even more worth it.

Ground Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

1 box jumbo pasta shells 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 package frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely chopped
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
5 cups marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly golden and cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of marinara sauce. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full, about 24 shells. Drizzle the remaining marinara sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella. If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and cheese is starting to brown- about 20 minutes.

If baking from freezer, preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 60 minutes covered. Last 15 minutes remove foil to let cheese brown.