Festive Christmas Stuffed Pasta (Printable)
Jumbo pasta shells filled with ricotta, spinach, mozzarella, and cranberries, baked in tomato sauce.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta & Filling
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→ Sauce
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→ Garnish
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# Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F.
02 - Cook the pasta shells in salted boiling water until al dente; drain and set aside on a kitchen towel to cool.
03 - In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until softened. Add passata or marinara sauce, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.
04 - In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, spinach, mozzarella, Parmesan, chopped cranberries, egg, nutmeg, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined.
05 - Spread half the tomato sauce on the bottom of a large ovenproof baking dish.
06 - Fill each pasta shell with the ricotta mixture using a spoon. Arrange the filled shells in the dish.
07 - Pour remaining sauce over the shells and sprinkle extra Parmesan on top.
08 - Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until golden and bubbling.
10 - Garnish with fresh basil before serving.
# Expert Advice:
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- The tart cranberries cut through the rich cheese, creating this incredible sweet and savory balance that feels special without being fussy.
- It looks like you spent hours at the stove, but honestly, most of the work happens while the oven does its thing.
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- Let the shells cool for just a few minutes before trying to move them. They hold heat like nobody's business, and I've burned my tongue more times than I care to admit.
- You can assemble everything up to 24 hours ahead. Just cover tightly and refrigerate, then add 10 15 minutes to the baking time if baking cold from the fridge.
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- Use a piping bag or zip lock bag with the corner snipped off to fill the shells. It's so much faster and less messy than using a spoon, and your hands stay clean.
- Don't skip the nutmeg. It sounds unusual if you're not used to it in savory dishes, but it's the secret ingredient that makes this taste like a proper Italian holiday meal.