Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells With Arrabbiata Sauce

Submitted by Mommy Diva

"This is a lovely recipe I found courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis. It was featured on a "freeze it!" segment. I am looking forward to making this one!! YUMMY!"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 45mins
• Ingredients: 22
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 340.19 g jumbo pasta shells (recommend Barilla brand)
• 44.37 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 453.59 g ground turkey
• 2.46 ml kosher salt, plus
• 2.46 ml kosher salt
• 1.23 ml fresh ground black pepper, plus
• 1.23 ml fresh ground black pepper
• 283.49 g frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely chopped (approx. 10 oz)
• 425.24 g ricotta cheese
• 177.44 ml parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 59.14 ml fresh basil leaf, chopped
• 29.58 ml fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1182.95 ml marinara sauce, use Arrabbiata Sauce recipe to follow
• 354.88 ml mozzarella cheese, grated (about 5 ounces)

• Arrabbiata Sauce

• 29.58 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 170.09 g sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped
• 9.85 ml crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1182.95 ml marinara sauce (jarred or fresh)

directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
2. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 5 minutes; Drain pasta.
3. Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
4. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly golden and cooked through.
6. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.
7. In a large bowl combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper; Stir to combine.
8. To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of Arrabbiata sauce.
9. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture, about 2 tablespoons.
10. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish.
11. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full, about 24 shells. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata Sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella. If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 day and up to 1 month.
12. To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 60 minutes (20 minutes if shells are unfrozen.).
13. For Arrabbiata sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use.

Reviews

[Maito]

I had to make quite a bit of changes on this, but it still came out really great. I made the flat version of this (a lasagna), since they don't make shells in a gluten free version. I used only a half tablespoon of oil, a 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of the red pepper flakes, lots more fresh herbs, less cheese and used bison for the turkey (which gave it a nice flavor). Everything came together nicely, and it was a very enjoyable meal.

 

[mama smurf]

Made for the Cook-A-Thon for Mommy Diva and I am soooo glad I did. I cut the recipe in half but otherwise followed the instructions and DH was eating the turkey/artichoke mixture before I could even get it mixed up with the cheeses and egg. Definately going into my Favorites of 2012. Thank you for posting!

 

[Groundhog Gal]

I have made this several times using ground turkey or ground veal. It is simply delicious. The only thing I leave out is the parsley as we don't care for it. I freeze half of the recipe following the instructions as this makes quite a bit.

 

[toohot4u]

What a great recipe! I can't wait to make this again, only next time I am going to make a double batch and freeze half. If you are trying this recipe for the first time, the pancetta in the sauce is a must. I used dried herbs since I didn't have fresh and I used a jar of marinated artichoke hearts instead of frozen.

 

[little_wing]

This was delicious! Such a great combination of flavors and the slightly spicy/smoky sauce went with the milder flavor of the shells wonderfully. I used all lowfat ingredients in the filling and trust me...you can't tell. I also want to try this with some chopped chicken breast. I took some photos but haven't seen them yet. I think they all sort of came out looking like balls of sauce. But will post one soon since you don't have one yet. Made for ZWT. Thanks for sharing!