STUFFED SHELL PASTA BAKE

Stuffed Shell Pasta Bake image

Provided by Lynn Socko

Categories Pasta

Time 1h25m

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 lb each: ground beef, lean ground pork
1 tsp each of dry basil, Italian seasoning and fennel seeds
1/2 tsp each of granulated onion and black pepper
2 tsp granulated garlic
12 bunch giant shell noodles
16 oz mozzarella cheese, grated
6 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
4 oz can Italian tomato sauce
2 jar(s) 16 oz each of Pomodori Bruschetta Spread or 32 oz chunky marinara sauce
**red pepper flakes and salt to taste

Steps:

1. Place sausage, ground beef and all dry seasoning except red pepper flakes in a skillet and cook until meat is done. Salt to taste.
2. Spray sides and bottom of a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick spray oil. Add just enough of the 4 oz can of tomato sauce to cover the bottom, about half the can.
3. After meat has cooled, spoon into large bowl and add ¾ of the mozzarella cheese and all of the Parmesan cheese and the ½ can of tomato sauce, mix together well. Par boil your pasta to super al dente. Drain and cool.
4. Stuff meat and cheese mixture into pasta and place in baking dish, if you have any leftover meat mixture just sprinkle on top. Some of my pasta fell apart during boiling, but I didn't need all of it anyway, so I just discarded it. Pour bruschetta spread or marinara sauce on top of pasta, slide baking dish back and forth a little to allow some sauce to get down in between shells. Sprinkle on remaining Mozzarella.
5. Bake 400° for about 50 min. My baking dish was a thick ceramic type dish so it took a little longer than a glass Pyrex baking dish probably would. Check after about 40 min. Bake until bubbly and cheese on top is melted.