Cheesy Monster Eyes
Ready In: 2 hrs 35 mins
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 18 jumbo pasta shells (from 1 2-oz package)
- 1 (28 ounce) jar pasta sauce
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
- 1⁄4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
- 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 18 frozen cooked italian-style meatballs (from 16-oz bag)
- 4 pitted ripe olives, sliced (4-6)
- red bell pepper, if desired
- lettuce, if desired
- sugar snap pea, if desired
- green grape, if desired
- green onion, if desired
Directions
- Heat oven to 350°F
- Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cook pasta as directed on package; drain.
- Rinse with cold water to cool; drain well.
- Meanwhile, reserve 1 tablespoon pasta sauce; pour remaining sauce into baking dish.
- In medium bowl, mix egg, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, the basil and garlic powder.
- Fill each cooked pasta shell with about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture.
- Arrange filled shells, cheese mixture up, in dish over sauce.
- Press 1 meatball into cheese mixture in each shell to resemble eye.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until bubbly.
- Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
- Use drop of reserved pasta sauce to attach ripe olive slice to each meatball to resemble pupil of eye.
- To create a face, arrange eyes on each plate with red pepper mouth, grape nose, lettuce and sugar snap peas eyebrows and green onion hair.
- Makes: 6 servings (3 shells each).
- Kitchen Tip:.
- One serving is three shells.
- Make a face using two shells for eyes, and offer the additional shells during the meal.
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