Five kinds of cheese, tender-chewy pasta, and a simple tomato sauce makes this five cheese StuffedLumaconi elegant enough for company and tasty enough to make you crave it for every meal.
3-4tablespoonsHemisFares Extra Virgin Olive OilFind #48
2clovesgarlicminced
28ouncesPetite Diced Tomatoes
1teaspoonsugar
2teaspoondried basil
additional parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook lumaconi according to the package directions for “al dente” or just slightly under cooked. Drain pasta and lay on paper towels to slightly dry.
For the cheese mixture, combine cheeses, egg and ½ teaspoon salt until well mixed and spoon into a large Ziploc bag. Squeeze mixture into one corner of the bag and snip off the end. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil until it shimmers and stir in garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and stir in tomatoes, salt, and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes on low. Stir in basil.
Spoon about a cup of sauce over the bottom of a large baking dish. Working one at a time, squeeze a steady stream of cheese into each pasta shell. Place each filled shell into the baking dish and spoon remaining tomato sauce over the filled pasta once all the cheese mixture is used. Cover pan with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly, removing foil for last 10 minutes of cooking. Serve hot with additional parmesan cheese grated over the top.
Notes
This cheese filling can be used in any type of large pasta shell. Look for Lumaconi, Manicotti, or Large Shells-- all can be used!