Stoonad Stuffed Shells!
by Danielle D
(Boston, MA, USA)
Yummy!
My dad is from a big Italian family. You know, one of those families that is always bustling: lots of people, lots of kids, lots of stories. Everyone is a star in our family, every birthday attended by 20 or so of your closest aunts, uncles, and cousins. And they remember your most important moments for years!
Well, once I started cooking on my own, I realized that most of the recipes I cooked were, well, Italian! It's comforting for me, it reminds me of home. I made this recipe for my boyfriend because he loves crab. I love that it's a take on a family tradition, since I remember our family sitting around the kitchen table, stuffing shells for our dinner guests.
INGREDIENTS
1 box jumbo shells
8 ounces of crabmeat (in a can is fine)
8 ounces ricotta cheese
1 tbsp. hot sauce
2 lemons
1/2 cup Italian seasoning
1 can of diced tomatoes
4 ounces of grated mozzarella cheese
PREPARATION
Boil the shells in a boiling pot of salted water (about 12 minutes).
When the shells are pliable, drain and rinse with cold water. This should make them cool enough to touch.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Combine crabmeat, ricotta, hot sauce, juice of 2 lemons, and 1/4 cup of Italian seasoning. Mix well.
Combine remaining italian seasoning and diced tomatoes. Pour half on the bottom of a 9x13 ceramic pan.
Stuff shells with approximately 1 tbsp. of crab mixture. Repeat until all shells are full. Put stuffed shells on top of tomatoes.
Cover shells with remaining tomato mixture. Top with grated mozzarella cheese.
Place in heated oven for 15-20 minutes until cheese starts to brown.
Mangia!
