Unstuffed Shells

Wow, it's been two months since I posted!  I've kind of been in a rut with making the same recipes and the few new ones I've tried haven't been worth posting.  Until I made this!  The orginal recipe can be found here on the Kraft website.  This is going to be a regular meal in our house!  I made garlic bread and veggies to go with it.  I had leftovers for lunch the next day and I can't remember the last time I've been so excited for what I brought for lunch!


Unstuffed Shells

4 cups medium pasta shells, uncooked

1 lb.  extra-lean ground beef

1 jar (24 oz.) marinara sauce

1 tub  (10 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Original Cooking Creme

 

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil.  I used dried basil.  I didn't really measure it but I would estimate that I used around a tablespoon or a little more. 

 

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1-1/2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Small onion or green pepper, chopped (optional)

 

 

 
Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt. Meanwhile, brown meat in a large skillet. If using an onion or green pepper, cook it with the beef.  Stir in marinara sauce; simmer on medium heat 2 min. Remove from heat. 

Drain pasta. Mix cooking creme, basil and Parmesan in large bowl; stir in pasta. Spread half the meat sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover with layers of pasta mixture and remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella; cover with foil. 

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  Take foil off after 20 minutes.

The recipe says you could refrigerate this for 24 hours before baking.  Then you would bake for 40-45 minutes, taking the foil off after 30 minutes.