Italian Shells

Italian Shells

Are we all gearing up for a great Mother’s Day this weekend? I sure hope all the moms enjoy the special day! Last year, one of the things I gave my mom and my mother-in-law was a cookbook.

That’s probably something THEY should have given to ME, you say? Well, this one was a bit different.

Basically, it’s a blank cookbook, split into normal cookbook “sections”. It’s for moms to record family recipes for their daughters – which I think is totally cool! My mom gave me this book back filled with family recipes…written in her own handwriting…which I think is totally cool, too.

One day my mom won’t be here anymore, and this will definitely be something to treasure! So I started to flip through what she had recorded for me, and I found this entry:

I had TOTALLY forgotten about this one! It’s called Italian Shells, and it really was my favorite! So I decided to make it for my hubby and see what he thought about it!

Italian Shells

1 pound lean ground beef (I used Italian sausage this time)

1/2 pound macaroni shells (I used penne this time)

1/2 quart marinara sauce

4 ounces provolone cheese, shredded (I just tore mine up)

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Italian Shells directions

Cook shells, rinse and drain. Brown beef. Add salt and pepper. Stir in marinara. Simmer 20 minutes. Line casserole dish with layers of shells, sauce, sour cream and cheeses. Repeat layers until there are no more ingredients, ending with cheese on top.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes more. When the cheese on the top is melted and lightly brown, the dish is done!

It was JUST AS GOOD as I remembered it being, and my hubby loved it!

As with most things I prepare in my kitchen, there are lots of variables that can be changed out if needed, or if wanted! For instance: instead of beef, used ground turkey, or Italian sausage like I did, or almost any other kind of meat! Instead of macaroni, feel free to used another pasta.

I used Ronzoni’s Penne Rigate, the Gluten-Free Delicious White Pasta Taste version. I also used Prego’s Italian Sauce Pesto Marinara, and I think that added a lot to the dish!

I hope this post inspires you to create something along these lines, and to gather up some old family recipes! Because there’s never a bad time for old family recipes!