Recipe of the Month (December) – Baked Shells with Pesto

We made this recipe at least three times this month and it was amazing every time! This is probably one of the easiest recipes that I have posted so far. I hope many people will try it and let me know if they like it.

You can download a PDF of the recipe here: Baked Shells with Pesto

        •        1 tablespoon cooking oil
        •        1 onion, chopped
        •        1 pound ground turkey or beef
        •        2 cans canned diced tomatoes, drained
        •        1 1?2 tsp salt
        •        1?2 – 1 cup pesto
        •        3?4 pound medium pasta shells
        •        6 ounces mozzarella, grated or shredded
        •        1?4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Oil a large baking dish (about 9 by 13 inches). In a large stainless steel frying pan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the Turkey or ground beef and cook, breaking it up until the meat is no longer pink, about 3-4 minutes. Drain off any excess fat.

Add the tomatoes and salt to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook until most of the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the shells until just done, about 10 minutes. Drain and toss with the sauce. Put half of the pasta into the prepared baking dish and top with half the mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Repeat with the remaining pasta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Bake until bubbling, about 15 minutes.

Dollop each serving with desired amount of pesto sauce.