By In The Kitchen With Stefano Faita
This 5-ingredient baked pasta is perfect for feeding a crowd. You can assemble a day in advance and then bake before serving.
INGREDIENTS
Olive oil, as needed
1 package (340 gram) jumbo pasta shells
475 gram tub ricotta
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for filling
1/3 cup basil pesto or your favorite pesto, to flavour both filling and passata
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 jar (680 ml) pureed tomatoes (passata)
1 cup grated Parmesan, for sprinkling on top of pasta
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil 9-inch x 13-inch baking pan or two 9-inch x 9-inch baking pan.
Bring large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until just al dente. Do not overcook. Drain well.
Combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp. pesto, and salt and pepper to taste.
Combine pureed tomatoes and remaining pesto. (If you don’t want to dirty another bowl, just add pesto to the jar, secure with lid and shake to combine.)
Add half the tomato mixture to baking pan. Spoon about 1 tbsp. filling into each pasta shell.
Arrange stuffed shells snugly in baking dish. Cover with remaining tomato mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan cheese and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes until filling is hot. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
Yield: 8 servings.