Artichoke Stuffed Shells

These were fantastic and my 18 month old couldn't get enough of them.
Artichoke Stuffed Shells

From: Eat For Dinner

1 (12 oz.) box jumbo shells
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lg. yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 tsp. + 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. + 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 (8-10 oz.) pkg. frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely chopped (I used canned artichokes)
1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated parmesan
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbs. flat leaf parsley, chopped
5 cups Arrabbiata sauce (Sorry in advance for this long side note: I didn't know what this was so I googled it. I came upon WiseGeek . I learned that this sauce was a marinara that was given a spicy flavor by adding hot peppers, so I just bought Newman's Own Sockarooni Sauce which was a pasta sauce with peppers and spice etc. It was fantastic. I would say that you could likely just use your favorite pasta sauce though.)
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and partially cook until it is tender but still very firm to the bite. Make sure to stir occasionally so that the shells don't stick together.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft and start to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is done. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta, parmesan, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Line the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with 1 cup of arrabiata sauce. Take the shells in the palm of your hand and stuff with with a large spoonful of turkey mixture. Place the stuffed shells in the baking dish. (The original recipe said it makes about 24 shells, but I had about 30 overstuffed shells).

Drizzle the remaining arrabiata sauce over the shells and top with the mozzarella. Bake for 2o minutes.

(I didn't try freezing it but the original recipe says it freezes well which I can believe, so here are the directions.) Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for up to 1 month. To bake preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese begins to brown, about 60 minutes.