Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

This picture does not even begin to show how delicious these shells are. I have made stuffed shells before, but nothing that ever tasted this good. We had an italian themed dinner with some friends on New Years Eve, so I decided these shells would be nice because people could portion how many they wanted to have. I ate too many, and then more after the bar, and then some more for breakfast:/ I just could.not.resist.

I used jarred marinara sauce, but one of my next adventures is going to be making Giada's marinara sauce, so next time these will be made with her recipe, which I've heard is very good. This recipe can also be easily frozen into separate portions, as it makes a lot of food.

Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

Source: Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

12 ounces (1 box) jumbo pasta shells (approximately 36 shells)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for greasing baking sheet
6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, diced
2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups marinara sauce
2 (15-ounce) containers whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Lightly oil a 12 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish and set aside. 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. You will continue cooking the shells 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 pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring often.

In a medium bowl, stir the ricotta, Parmesan, egg yolks, basil, parsley, mint, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

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. Arrange the shells in the prepared dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, then sprinkle with the mozzarella.

**At this point you can freeze the shells; thaw in the refridgerator or increase the baking time**

Bake in the lower third of your oven until the filling is heated through and the top is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.