4-Cheese Stuffed Shells In Marinara... Winter Warmth on a Plate

Although I'm 100% Greek, I have to admit I am a sucker for a hearty, delicious Italian meal.  Stuffed shells have become one of my favorite dishes over the past few years; however I've never tried to make them myself until a recent frigid day.

Let me start by saying, Hubbs usually does all the cooking.  I bake, and I'm good at it.  But cooking?  Not so much my thing.  I usually either come within seconds of burning down the kitchen (or the house), or whatever I'm making just comes out downright awful.

But one seriously cold winter day, we were trying to think of a warm, hearty recipe to make for dinner, and we came up with the idea of stuffed shells.  I searched for recipes and quickly came across this one.  The ingredients are perfectly simple, the recipe is easy to follow (and difficult to mess up), and the dish can be made in 30 minutes.

The shells and sauce came out absolutely delicious - the shells were perfectly al dente (I favored the lower end of the timing for both the pasta and the baking portions of the recipe); the melty mozzarella and ricotta (I used whole milk ricotta) were incredibly creamy, while the saltiness of the asiago and parmesan cheeses kicked up the flavor and the parsley brought some freshness to the filling; and the marinara was hearty and rustic (I rough-chopped the onions and garlic), with a touch of sweetness form the basil.

Hubbs was floored, and honestly, so was I.  He had me make another batch the next night, with extra so he could have leftovers for lunch and dinner the day after.

Thank you Rachel Ray and your 30 minute meals.  Seriously, where would I be without you, girl?!

What's your favorite winter dish???