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Close-up of rigatoni pasta with tomato sauce, topped with a dollop of ricotta cheese, drizzled with olive oil, and garnished with fresh basil leaves.
Melissa Jo

Stuffed Shells Inside Out Recipe

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Make Stuffed Shells Inside Out when you want diced uncured pancetta, ricotta cheese, and crushed red pepper in one delicious main course.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 52 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients
  

  • 4 oz. of diced uncured pancetta
  • 1 cup of ricotta cheese
  • 1-2 tbsp. of olive oil
  • 1 tsp. of crushed red pepper
  • 4 cloves of chopped garlic
  • 4 oz. of grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 4 oz. of chardonnay
  • 12 oz. box of jumbo shells
  • 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup a little more or less of pasta water
  • salt & pepper to taste start off with at least 1 tsp. of each
  • 1-2 oz. of fresh basil reserve some for garnish
  • garnish: dollop of ricotta, drizzle of olive oil, grated pecorino romano cheese, and fresh basil

Method
 

  1. Add pancetta and olive oil to a pan with high sides. Once the pancetta is translucent add crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper and continue sauteing until the pancetta is browned.
  2. Deglaze the pan with white wine (I use chardonnay) and allow the alcohol to burn out for a couple minutes before adding any additional ingredients.
  3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once it's at a rolling boil heavily salt the water and add the jumbo shells. Cook until aldente.
  4. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan and bring the sauce to a boil. Then, lower to a simmer. SImmer for about 20 minutes before adding any additional ingredients.
  5. Once the shells are nearly aldente scoop out about 1 cup of pasta water or so. Always err on the side of caution and grab more pasta water in case you need it.
  6. Add about 1 cup of pasta water to the sauce. Simmer another 5-10 minutes on medium/low.
  7. Using a whisk, whip up the ricotta for a minute or so to smooth it out a bit.
  8. Add the grated pecorino romano, fresh basil, and whipped ricotta to the sauce. Stir it in and simmer for about 5 minutes on low.
  9. Add the shells into the pan.
  10. Serve family style or individually and top with a dollop of ricotta, a drizzle of olive oil, grated pecorino romano, and fresh basil! ENJOY!

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Notes

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Add a dollop of ricotta & drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the finished dish before adding the pecorino Romano grated cheese….SO decadent and amazing! The perfect finisher!
  • Jumbo Shells Cooking Time: When reading the back of the box for cooking time; sometimes, the directions are for boiling then baking. So make sure you boil until aldente.
 

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