Stuffed Shells With Vodka-Tomato Cream Sauce - cooking recipe

Ingredients

salt
1 (12 ounce) box jumbo pasta shells
Filling
16 ounces ricotta cheese (whole-milk or part-skim)
1 1/2 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 garlic clove (minced to a paste or pressed through a garlic press)
ground black pepper
Sauce
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup vodka
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaf
1/2 ounce parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)

Preparation

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position; preheat to 400\u00b0.
Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a Dutch oven over high heat.
Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and the shells; cook, stirring occasionally, until almost al dente.
Drain the shells and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet to cool.
Using a dinner fork, pry apart any shells that have clung together, discarding any that are badly torn (you should have 30-33 good shells).
Filling-mix the ricotta, mozzarella, peas, mint, egg, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl.
Spoon a tablespoon of the filling into each shell and arrange them, seam-side down, into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
Cover the filled shells loosely with damp paper towels and set aside.
Sauce-puree the canned tomatoes with their juice in a food processor fitted with the steel blade until smooth, about 1 minute.
Heat the oil and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes.
Add the pureed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, vodka, cream, and sugar; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the flavors have melded and the sauce has thickened, 10-12 minutes.
Off the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Discard the paper towels covering the filled shells and pour the tomato sauce over the top.
Tilt the dish to distribute the sauce evenly and make sure each shell is covered with sauce (spoon over each shell if necessary).
Cover with foil and bake until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the ricotta filling is hot, about 30 minutes.
Cool for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with basil and Parmesan before serving.