Meatball and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Author: Laura Doerr, Ways To My Heart

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

18 All Purpose Meatballs

18 jumbo pasta shells

olive oil

24 oz jar marinara sauce

15 oz ricotta cheese

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup grated Parmesan divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 10x12 (2 qt) baking dish (slightly smaller than a 9x13, but 9x13 would work)

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook jumbo shells according to package instructions to "al dente". Drain pasta when cooking is complete, and drizzle with olive oil to avoid sticking together, set aside.

3. While pasta is cooking, add sauce and meatballs to a large skillet and heat over medium until meatballs are heated through.

4. In a medium bowl combine ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, parsley, and garlic powder. Stir until well combined.

Assembly

1. Spoon out just enough sauce (sauce only, no meatballs) to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Scoop about 1 tbsp of ricotta cheese into each cooked shell. Then place 1 meatball into each of the cooked shells. Arrange into the baking dish.

2. Pour remaining sauce over the shells. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup of parm over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes.