Categories: Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 lb. jumbo pasta shells
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 28 oz. can peeled Italian tomatoes
• 15 oz. ricotta
• 1 1/3 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

1. Lightly oil a 12×9×2-inch baking dish and a rimmed baking sheet. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Add the pasta shells to the boiling water and cook just until slightly tender, 4 to 6 minutes; they should still be quite irm to the bite. Drain the pasta shells and arrange them on the oiled baking sheet, spreading them out so that they don’t stick together.

3. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large skillet and, when hot, add the ground beef and 1 crushed garlic clove. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until cooked through and no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and set aside to cool slightly.

4. In another skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the remaining garlic and the tomatoes with their juices. Season with salt and pepper, bring the sauce to a simmer, and cook over low heat for at least 15 minutes, or until somewhat thickened.

5. ir 1 1/2 cups of the tomato sauce into the cooled ground beef, then add the ricotta and 2/3 cup of the Parmigiano and combine thoroughly. Preheat the oven to 350.

6. Spoon 1 1 /4 cups of the tomato sauce into the prepared baking dish. Fill each pasta shell with some of the meat and cheese mixture, about 2 tbsp per shell. Arrange the shells in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells and sprinkle with the remaining 2/3 cup of Parmigiano.

7. Bake the shells until the filling is heated through and the top is golden brown.

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