Stuffed Pasta Shells

A while back I posted about some Stuffed Pasta Shells I had made and Abby kindly asked for the recipe - which I never posted because I am a slacker. But I figured better late than never - so here it is:

Stuffed Pasta Shells Holly Style ;)

• 1 box large shell pasta -
  
• 1 jar of spaghetti sauce (or make your own...I like the Prego one with mushrooms)
  
• 4 C shredded mozzarella cheese
  
  
  
• 1 large container of ricotta cheese
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1 tbs oregano
  
• garlic (use how much you like - I usually use 3-4 cloves minced, but I LOVE garlic)
  
• parmesan-reggiano blend cheese (the Kraft kind in the green container works well..I prefer shredded but grated works too)
  
• 1 red pepper - sliced
  
• 1 yellow pepper - sliced
  
• 1 large yellow onion - sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Boil pasta shells - and drain. (You don't want to overcook them or they will get soggy when baked - boil them until they are al dente.)
   
3. Saute the peppers, onions and a bit of garlic in olive oil until just barely not crisp.
   
4. Mix mozzarella, ricotta, egg, garlic, oregano and 1/4 C parmesan-reggiano cheese in a bowl until mixed well.
   
5. Spread a small amount of sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan (to keep the shells from sticking)
   
6. Fill shells with cheese mixture and place in pan. (This is the tricky part...you want to allow the shells to cool for a minute or two because handling hot pasta can burn you! I usually use a larger table spoon and hold the shell in my left hand and the spoon with cheese in my right. I will slide the spoon in the opening of the shell and then hold the shell shut with my left hand - to keep the cheese in - while I slide the spoon back out...sounds tricky, but after one or two you get the hang of it - oh and your fingers will get messy but that's part of the fun!)
   
7. Once all the shells are filled, lay/pour/spread the peppers and onions over the shells.
   
8. Pour the spaghetti sauce over all of it.
   
9. Top with a little shredded mozzarella and parmesan-reggiano mix.
   
10. Bake until cheese melts and sauce is bubbling (usually about 15-20 minutes)