A warm bowl of cheesy, saucy pasta is great for the soul; it’s a worthy meal for any type of celebration. For these shells, you’ll add a summery touch by filling them with fresh pesto. Using store-bought pesto is fine (you can find it in the refrigerated section), or make your own—it only takes a couple minutes in the food processor.
Ingredients
1 ( 12-ounce) package jumbo pasta shells
2 cups ricotta
1 cup fresh pesto
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 large eggs
2 (24-ounce) jars marinara sauce
Chopped basil, for garnish (optional)
Directions
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the shells according to the instructions on the box until barely al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, pesto, mozzarella, and eggs.
Pour ½ jar of marinara sauce into the bottom of a slow cooker, spreading evenly.
Take a pasta shell and stuff the inside with about 1 heaping tablespoon of ricotta mixture. Place the stuffed shell in the slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining shells and ricotta mixture.
Pour 1 jar of marinara sauce over the stuffed shells. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Pour the remaining ½ jar of sauce into the slow cooker and allow to heat through. Garnish with chopped basil if desired.
Yield
Serves 6 to 8