Seafood-Stuffed Shells

If you're pressed for time, get shrimp already shelled and deveined

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs jumbo pasta shells
•  salt
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1  small onion, chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (8 ounce) bottle  clam juice
• 1 (28 ounce) can  whole tomatoes in puree
• 2  tablespoons tomato paste
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1⁄3 cup heavy cream or 1⁄3 cup  whipping cream
• 1  lb medium shrimp, shelled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
• 1  lb  scrod fish, fillet coarsely chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) package  frozen peas
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1  garlic clove, crushed with side of chef's knife
• 2  slices  firm  white bread, torn into 1/4-inch pieces

Directions

1. Prepare pasta shells in boiling salted water as label directs. Drain shells and rinse with cold running water to stop cooking; drain again. Arrange shells in single layer on waxed paper and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in 4-quart saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer, stirring frequently. Add clam juice and cook 7 minutes over high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup. Stir in tomatoes with their puree, breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon. Add tomato paste, sugar, and crushed red pepper; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; partially cover and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and cook 2 minutes longer; remove saucepan from heat.
3. Transfer 1 cup tomato sauce to 3-quart saucepan. Add shrimp and scrod, and cook over medium-high heat until seafood just turns opaque throughout, about 5 minutes, gently stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir equal amounts of frozen peas into both saucepans.
4. Preheat oven to 400°F
5. Fill each pasta shell with 2 heaping tablespoons seafood mixture and place in 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Pour tomato sauce over stuffed shells.
6. Prepare Bread-Crumb Topping:
7. In nonstick 10-inch skillet, heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Add bread and cook until golden, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Discard garlic.
8. Spoon bread crumbs over stuffed shells. Bake 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.