Cheesy Stuffed Shells (Better Than Lasagna)

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Ingredients:
∙ Olive oil
∙ salt
∙ 340g (12oz) jumbo pasta shells
∙ 160g (5.5oz) sliced prosciutto
∙ 30g 6 cloves minced garlic (15g for spinach, 15g for marinara)
∙ 225g (8oz) spinach
∙ 100g (1 small) grated onion
∙ 25g (1T) chopped Calabrian chiles (or chili flakes)
∙ 75g (5T) tomato paste
∙. Water (a splash to deglaze pot)
∙ 800g (1 can) crushed tomatoes (28oz)
∙ 7g (1t) salt
∙ 20g (1.5T) sugar
∙ 10g (1/4c) basil, chiffonade
∙ 450g (1lb) ricotta cheese (recipe below)
∙ 100g (1/2c) heavy cream
∙ 75g (3/4c) shredded mozzarella
∙ 75g (3/4c) grated parmesan, plus extra for topping
∙ 1 large egg
∙ 20 cranks of fresh black pepper
∙ Olive oil for cooking

FRESH RICOTTA:
∙ 2000g (8c) whole milk
∙ 200g (1c) heavy cream
∙ 15g (1T) salt
∙ 100g (7T) white distilled vinegar

Instructions:
1. Make the Ricotta
∙ Pour milk and heavy cream into a saucepan. Add 15g of salt. Heat gently over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until it reaches 190°F/88C (about 5-8 minutes).
∙Remove from heat and swirl in vinegar. Carefully and gently stir it in then let sit for 15 minutes until curds form.
∙Line a strainer with cheesecloth and gently scoop the curds into the cloth. Let the cheese drain for 20-30 minutes.

2. Cook the Pasta:
∙Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the jumbo shells and cook for about 6 minutes, until almost al dente. Drain and toss gently with olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.

3. Prepare the Prosciutto and Spinach Filling:
∙Stack prosciutto, slice it into strips, then finely mince into small pieces.
∙Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the minced prosciutto and fry for 90 seconds, being careful not to crisp it.
∙Add 15g/3 cloves minced garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.
∙Transfer to a cutting board, chop finely, and squeeze out any excess moisture with a towel.

4. Make the Spicy Marinara:
∙Wipe out the Dutch oven. Add a drizzle of olive oil, then grated onion and 15g/3 cloves of minced garlic. Add a pinch of salt and sweat the mixture for 5 minutes.
∙Stir in chopped Calabrian chiles (or chili flakes) and fry for 2-3 minutes.
∙Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute until it deepens in color.
Pour in the can of crushed tomatoes, 7g salt, sugar, and a splash of water. Simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in chiffonade basil. Taste and adjust seasoning.

5. Make the Ricotta Filling:
In a medium bowl, combine the drained homemade ricotta, the prosciutto-spinach mixture, heavy cream, shredded mozzarella, 75g of grated parmesan, about 20 cranks of black pepper, and 1 large egg. Stir until well combined.

6. Stuff the Shells:
∙Preheat the oven to 425°F/220C.
∙Fill each shell with about 2-3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture, tucking the cheese inside using your fingers or a spoon.
∙Nestle the stuffed shells in the sauce (I just do this in my dutch oven, but you can transfer to a baking dish if needed), arranging 18-22 shells in a crown pattern, making sure they are at least halfway submerged.

7. Bake the Shells:
∙Sprinkle a generous amount of grated parmesan over the shells. Cover the dish with a lid and bake for 15 minutes.
∙Remove the lid and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes to allow the cheese to brown and the sauce to thicken slightly.

8. Finish and Serve:
Top with additional grated parmesan.Scoop out 3-4 shells per serving, top with more grated parmesan, and drizzle with a bit of spicy finishing olive oil.

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Homemade fresh ricotta
2:19 Boil the shells
3:02 Sauteed spinach/prosciutto filling
4:38 Spicy marinara
5:50 My morning cup of coffee
6:50 Finishing the marinara
7:10 Finishing the ricotta filling

🎧MUSIC:

[ToneSoprone]

>lasagna is too much work
>let me make my own cheese

[epistte]

A pastry bag or zipper bag with the corner snipped off is the fastest and least messy way to fill the shells. This was my daughter favorite dish growing up.

[tarnisd]

My mom passed away years ago, I asked for this for my birthday my entire childhood and was literally just wishing I could have had it again for my 50th birthday.

[rdPartyIntervener]

pro tip: use "butter muslin" instead of grocery-store cheesecloth. the mesh weave is tighter with the muslin, and you won't lose 1/3 of your cheese to being stuck between the layers.

[cindyms.]

Any time I use ricotta cheese, I use Brian's recipe to make my own. Takes no time and tastes way better than any store bought. Can also use lactose free whole milk for the recipe.

[Daddskie]

Made this for the family for Christmas and we made the homemade ricotta cheese. Everyone loved it!

Also my wife surprised me with the Lagerstrom chefs knife for Christmas!

Thanks so much B man!

[strikemouse]

Hey Bri…, cooked this recipe today including the ˋquick ricottaˋ. It was quite some work, but it was all worth it. The Family loved it! Since we don‘t eat any pork, I substituted it with beef-bacon for the filling. And instead of chopped chilis (couldn‘t get them here) I used Sambal Oelek. It was really really really tasty, so thank you for that recipe.
Best wishes from Germany!

[trevorburrows]

Thanks! This recipe is killer! Love your stuff Brian!

[CP-fejr]

fyi, if you take the curds and put them in something like a tofu press lined with cheesecloth and press them for a while, you get a block of paneer, which is delicious cubed and fried in something like palak paneer etc.

[knightsofneeech]

Tip: discarded whey is REALLY helpful in the garden. Dump it in your garden bed!

[shawnanderson]

First breadmaking...then pizza making...Now I'm about to learn how to make cheese too...Your channel is too awesome....

[scotvans]

I made this tonight, with Manicotti shells because I could not find shells. Used a gallon freezer bag to pipe it in to the manicotti.

It was very tasty!! Made everything per the recipes. Everything you have demonstrated is amazing!!!

Keep it up!!

[sharonmiller-hhee]

Hi Brian and Lorn, Just wanted to say, your videos motivate me to try your recipes. I think that is the strongest message you give. The way you show the steps of the recipe makes it approachable. And you're fun to watch and Lorn too!

[coyotescallfarm]

Oh my, these are amazing! My daughter made them tonight...yum! She had some extra that she gently rolled in flour, rolled in egg, and rolled in seasoned bread crumbs, then fried. Awesome! Light and crispy. I used the sauce from the baked ones as a dipping sauce.

[ambermilligan]

Can’t wait to try this! 😋 btw i miss your “let’s eat this thing”/dance outro, I vote you bring it back

[derekdd]

I made this last weekend subbing shrimp for the Italian ham. Brilliant! Thanks Brian!

[joshuapatrick]

my mom's exact (and I mean exact, down to the home-made ricotta and mixing it with the mozz, prosciutto and spinach) homemade lasagna was just doing this exact stuffing but spreading it onto the lasagna sheets and then rolling them up and backing them in a pan with red sauce. But the stuffing was prosciutto, spinach and ricotta. It Is still my favorite!

[kurikar]

ugh i love stuffed shells, they’re so easy to make and taste so good every time

[HumblElephant]

Can't help but notice the irony of making your own ricotta but topping it with pre-grated parm, either way this was a banger

[Gigaguenther]

I like your combination of serious business when it comes to measurements, temps, etc. while still having fun with the presentation