1(24 ounce)jar thick and chunky salsa (about 2 ⅔ cups)
Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or cilantro; sour cream; sliced green onion or diced red onion; sliced olives; diced avocado
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cook pasta shells in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. Drain; rinse under cold water.
Meanwhile, brown ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain off fat; stir in water and taco seasoning mix. Bring to a simmer, and then cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 3-4 minutes.
Combine 1 ½ cups of the shredded Mexican blend cheese, all of the ricotta cheese, the egg, and half of the beef mixture in a large bowl. Set aside.
Spread ¾ cup of the salsa in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. In a bowl, stir together the remaining salsa and the remaining half of the beef mixture. Set aside.
Fill the cooked, cooled pasta shells with the ricotta mixture. Arrange the shells in the baking dish.
Top the shells with the salsa mixture. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of Mexican cheese blend over top.
Cover the dish with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for 10 more minutes. Garnish with optional toppings, and serve!
Notes
Boil the pasta in well-salted water. This is your only opportunity to season the pasta itself, so don’t be shy with the salt!
Cook the pasta shells just until barely al dente, since they will continue to cook in the oven. You don’t want to end up with overdone, mushy pasta!
Use a "thick and chunky" style salsa. Thinner "restaurant style" salsas will be too watery and thin for this recipe.
Garnish the shells with all of your favorite taco toppings for even more delicious flavor.