Stuffed Shells

Happy Friday all! Things are good over here...getting things done. Jesse is all registered and ready to go for his new school in Groton. The lease is signed, deposit sent, and Heath is scheduling the movers this afternoon! We're aiming for a pack-up date of mid-August. Hopefully it all goes smoothly, but one never knows with the military (I'm thinking of you Rebecca) :(

The realtor here in Charleston wants to start showings of this house as soon as next week. As renters we've never had to deal with showings before, so hopefully it's not too much of an inconvenience. I don't plan on going anywhere while they're here (I'm not letting strangers walk through my house without my being here. The house may not be mine, but everything in it IS), but I'll go read out back and stay out of there way. Hopefully it re-rents quickly so we don't have to deal with that for our last two months.

Oh well...I guess we'll see! Hope you guys have a great weekend! Oh, and these shells were awesome. Easy and tasty, and much better than the frozen shells you can buy in bulk (though those aren't bad on lazy nights. Schwan's makes some pretty decent ones). Ok, till next week!

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'Stuffed Shells'

Source: Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients

1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 bunch of chives, minced
20-25 jumbo dried pasta shells
1 jar of preferred pasta sauce
parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350.

2. Cook the shells according to package instructions in salted water until al dente. (If you overcook, the shells will tear as you fill them). Drain and let cool long enough to handle with your hands.

3. While pasta is cooking, combine the ricotta, egg, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until combined, then stir in the mozzarella and chives. Set aside.

4. Spread 1/3 of sauce across the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 in baking dish. Fill each shell with ricotta, and arrange in a single layer in the pan. Spoon remaining sauce over the shells, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover for the final 15 minutes or until the shells are cooked through. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve hot.

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