Speaking of Italian food..........

My dear husband will eat anything with marinara sauce on it, spaghetti is his favorite. But Norm is also quite fond of stuffed shells. I have made them many times over the years but this is really my go to recipe that I adapted from a Betty Crocker cookbook. This recipe is for a crowd or a party and since there are only two of us most times for a meal, I make the whole recipe and divide into containers and freeze. I do not bake them prior to freezing.
god I need a new camera cause I'm not liking these snaps.


1 box jumbo pasta shells not sure but think there is at least 30 in the box
2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves, minced 5 cups marinara sauce I use the jar sauce whichever one happens to be your favorite
2 (15-ounce) containers whole milk ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup shredded Asiago
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 large egg yolks
3 Tbls chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 Tbls fresh basil leaves
2 Tbls olive oil plus extra for oiling the baking sheet
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Lightly oil the baking sheet and set aside.

Partially cook the pasta shells in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly tender but still quite firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. The shells will continue to cook in the oven after they have been stuffed. Using a slotted spoon, drain pasta shells and place on oiled baking sheet, spreading them out so that they don't stick together and allow to cool.

Heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat.. Add the red pepper flakes. Add the garlic and sauté until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring often.

In a medium bowl, stir the ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, egg yolks, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spoon 1 1/4 cups of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Fill the cooked shells with the cheese mixture, about 2 tablespoons per shell.
This is where I divide up the shells and freeze them with out the sauce. But if you are going to make the whole recipe ........Arrange the shells in the prepared dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, then sprinkle with the mozzarella. parmesan cheese, and the asiago. If you wanna just use mozzarella and parmesan cheese it's okey dokey yummy.