spicy pesto alla vodka stuffed shells
If I’m gonna make vodka sauce, there’s gonna be a hell of a lot of vodka involved.
While I’m not really a drinker anymore in real life, cooking with booze involves a certain lack of minimalism on my end. Bourbon is my most prolific, especially in baked goods, but vodka sauce holds a special place in my gut. Probably because of the relative rarity of its appearance on this here website.
It’s called vodka sauce after all. Not kinda sorta a little bit vodka sauce.
Two fat basil plants sat on my desk over the weekend and I stripped both of them to make a jar of my favorite homemade pesto. Then, stuffed shells came to mind. I seem to scare up a new stuffed shell recipe every year and this felt like an appropriate time. Mondays are my hard run days and after the exertion I figure TREAT YOSELF is an apt protocol.
Spicy Pesto Alla Vodka Stuffed Shells are simple, luxe, cheesy, and all sorts of cozy. Done in under an hour and featuring a heap of sauce, ricotta filling, and plenty of shredded mozzarella on top to finish off. It’s summery and unpretentious but still appropriate if your days contain a bit of chill still.
Mine don’t. It’s currently 90 degrees out.I still pretend, though.
Spicy Mouth
There be a few moving parts to this recipe, but it’s easy to get shit done in one step while working on another. Even without hefty multitasking, we’re still looking at around or under an hour. Not bad!
First, get some jumbo shells and boil them off according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process.
Next, heat some oil in your oven-safe skillet (cast iron, enameled, or similar). Grab a hunk of vegetarian beef or regular, whichever way you swing, and brown until all sides are cooked. Stir in some minced shallot and garlic, then swirl in red pepper flakes, tomato paste, and a little butter.
Pour in lots of vodka. Yes, 3/4 cup is a lot, but trust me my dudes, it makes a real intense and luxurious sauce. Simmer for a couple minutes to reduce before adding heavy cream and a touch of reserved pasta water. Simmer for 8-10 minutes to thicken slightly.
At this stage, if you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, transfer the sauce to one that is. Make sure it’s large enough to fit all your shells!
Pest(o) Control
An easy shortcut in this recipe is to buy a good brand of pesto to use. Like I mentioned, I had a lot of basil at my disposal so I made a variation of my feta pesto. Most of the batch will be used in this recipe but any leftover is great on sandwiches, dolloped on soup, or as part of a simple caprese salad.
Mix your choice pesto with ricotta, shredded mozzarella, and parmesan. Scoop about 1 tablespoon sized mounds of filling into each shell and arrange into the sauce. You can pack them real tight. Don’t be shy.
Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella overtop. Bake the shells 12-15 minutes until gooey, cheesy, and a little bubbly golden a top. Serve right away with fresh basil.
Shells freeze beautifully, covered properly. They’re also an incredible envy-worthy meal prep. I always like steamed broccoli on the side or a Caesar salad.
You can definitely do garlic bread as well if you’re feeling especially hungry. Or not. Garlic bread needs no excuse.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Stuff it:
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Cheesy Salsa Verde Stuffed Shells
Roasted Butternut Squash Alla Vodka and Cheese Stuffed Shells
spicy pesto alla vodka stuffed shells
Ingredients
- 1 box jumbo shells
- 1 lb vegetarian or regular beef
- 2 medium shallots, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup tomato paste (1 small can)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 3/4 cup vodka
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 cups low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup fresh parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup basil pesto, homemade or store bought
- fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- In an oven-safe skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Brown the vegetarian/regular beef for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and shallot for 1-2 minutes. Swirl in the red pepper flakes, tomato paste and butter, then pour in the vodka. Simmer 2-3 minutes until reduced, stirring. Add the heavy cream and simmer 8-10 minutes until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If needed, transfer to an oven-safe pan or dish.
- In a bowl, stir together the ricotta, pesto, 1 cup of mozzarella, and the parmesan cheese.
- Stuff each shell with 1 tablespoon of the ricotta filling and arrange in the skillet. Repeat until all shells/filling are used up. Bake 12-15 minutes until the cheesy is gooey and melted, Top with fresh basil and serve hot!
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