Pork and Cheese Stuffed Jumbo Shells

Jumbo Pasta shells make a wonderful pocket for ground pork, ricotta and cottage cheese. A wonderful Italian comfort food casserole. Feeds a crowd, can be prepared in advance, great for the next time you're having guests for dinner.

Course Main Course Pork, Pasta Recipes

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings

Calories 390kcal

Author Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

For The Stuffed Shells
12 ounces jumbo pasta shells
1 ¼ pounds ground pork lightly browned and grease drained
¾ cup ricotta cheese
½ cup cottage cheese
¾ cup panko
3 cloves garlic minced
1 large egg beaten
½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
¼ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon Freshly Ground PepperPepper
For The Marinara Sauce
2 24 ounce Jars of Marinara Sauce
¼ Cup Heavy Cream
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon Fennel seed
8 ounce Block Mozzarella Cheese then shred

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°.  In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the shells until they are al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a baking sheet to cool slightly.
In a fry pan, lightly brown the ground pork and drain.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the pork, ricotta, cottage cheese, panko, garlic, egg, Parmigiano, the ½ cup of parsley, ¼ cup of the cream, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper; mix well.
In a medium bowl, mix the marinara sauce with ¼ cup of cream, the italian spices and fennel seed,, Spoon half of the sauce into a 9-by-13-inch casserole baking dish or lasagna pan. Stuff each shell with a heaping tablespoon of the filling and nestle in the sauce. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells and scatter the mozzarella on top.
Cover the baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer, until bubbling and  the pork is cooked through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition