#282: Three Cheese Stuffed Shells

I love the Pioneer Woman, I really do.  Her recipes are fantastic, delicious and funny!  So when I came across this recipe I knew I wanted to try it.  But I also knew I could make it easier and quicker by substituing some ingredints  (sorry to mess with perfection Ree!)  Mine was more like 2 cheese stuffed shells since I omitted one of the grated cheese.   I thought that might be pushing it with my non-cheese loving husband.   I'll admit I was a little leary of serving this one to him.  I was afraid I was going to have to bring the shells to work and start handing them out because he wasn't going to eat them.  BUT he very happily proved me wrong and had seconds!!  We are going to reheat the leftovers for dinner in a few nights too...very good sign for this house!!  These gets 4 stars from this family!

8 ounces, weight Jumbo Pasta Shells
30 ounces, weight Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese (I used part skim)
8 ounces, weight Parmesan Cheese, Grated, Divided (I omitted)
½ cups Grated Romano Cheese
1 whole Egg
12 leaves Basil, Chiffonade (I used dried basil.  I was being cheap!  Not nearly as good I know!)
2 Tablespoons Minced Parsley
Salt And Pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (I omitted)
½ whole Medium Onion, Chopped
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
½ pounds Italian Sausage (I used ground turkey)
½ cups Red Wine (I omitted) 
2 Tablespoons Minced Parsley
Instead of the following, I used jarred spaghetti sauce:
1 whole 28 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
1 whole 15-ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Sugar
½ teaspoons Salt

Cook pasta shells for half the cooking time; make sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.  Heat olive oil in large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute or two. Add Italian sausage and brown, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Pour in red wine and let it cook for a minute or two.

Pour in cans of crushed tomatoes and stir. Add sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check for seasonings; can add crushed red peppers if you like a little heat.

In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, half the Parmesan, Romano, egg, salt and pepper, basil, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Stir until combined.

To assemble, coat the bottom of a baking dish with sauce. Fill each half-cooked shell with the cheese mixture. Place face down on the sauce. Repeat with shells until cheese mixture is gone. Top shells with remaining sauce. Sprinkle on extra Parmesan.  (Obviously you can tell that I skipped this step.  We didn't need the extra calories!) Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.