eggplant parm stuffed shells

the greatest mashup there ever was

so I definitely didn’t mean to post this recipe so delayed, it’s embarrassing and for that I am so sorry. but the good news is, now it’s fresh on your mind and if you’re staying in for valentine’s day, or you’re having the girls over this weekend or heck - if you’re sitting at home on your couch binging white lotus all by your damn self……

you can now do it with a big bowl of eggplant parm stuffed shells! skrttttt!

I love eggplant parm and I love stuffed shells and I love you, so here is the recipe for the beautiful mash up <3 before you ask how many this recipe serves - like I don’t know. because if you ate 10 shells to yourself, then that’s none of my business. but I guess if I had to put a number to it - 3 shells per person!? yeah I feel good with that number if there’s other things to pick on.

eggplant parm stuffed shells:

• 2 large eggplants, peeled and diced into 1/2” cubes

• 20-25 jumbo pasta shells

• 28 oz can of crushed san marzano tomatoes, or crushed by hand if you only have whole

• 2 tbsp kosher salt for soaking the eggplant

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for baking + finishing

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 7 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 sprigs of fresh basil, plus more to serve

• 1/4 cup fresh basil, julienned

• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)

• 20 oz whole milk ricotta

• 1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino or parm

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 lemon, zested

• 10 oz mozzarella cheese, grated

• salt + pepper to taste

1. for the eggplant: place the cubes in a medium bowl along with the 2 tbsp salt and enough cold water to fully cover the eggplant by an inch. place a plate inside of the bowl with a weight (or some random items) on top to ensure the eggplant is submerged in water. let soak for 30 minutes then drain the water and pat dry the eggplant well.

2. in the meantime, start the sauce. to a medium pan, add the 2 tbsp olive oil. once shimmering, add the diced onion and cook over medium heat until fully softened and translucent. add the garlic + crushed red pepper and cook for a few more minutes. add the can of tomatoes and basil sprigs. fill the can of tomatoes half way with water, swirling to get every bit of tomato out of the can and add it to the sauce. season with salt and simmer on low for about 45 minutes-1 hour, stirring occasionally to ensure nothing is sticking or burning. it’s ready when it’s slightly thickened and has a richer color to it.

3. meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 F and set a large pot of heavily salted water to boil for the pasta shells

4. transfer the soaked + dried eggplant to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and coat with enough olive oil so every piece is generously covered. season with black pepper and just a pinch of salt. bake for about 30-40 minutes, shaking the pan every now and then, giving them a toss, until golden brown and some pieces are beginning to look caramelized. remove the pan from the oven and add the eggplant directly into the sauce towards the end. stir to combine, and taste for additional salt, pepper or red pepper flakes. continue cooking for 5 more minutes, adding a splash more of water if the sauce has thickened too much. remove the basil sprigs and turn off the heat, setting aside to cool while you cook your shells.

5. for the ricotta filling: add ricotta, pecorino, lemon zest, egg, salt + pepper, 1/4 cup basil and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese to a medium bowl and mix until incorporated. transfer to a ziploc bag to pipe into the shells, or use a small spoon if you want to make things harder. set aside.

6. add your shells to the boiling water and cook 1-2 minutes shy of al dente. drain and rinse the shells under cold water. set aside.

7. to a baking dish/oven safe pan (I used my 12” cast iron) drizzle a bit of olive oil and spread a generous + even layer of sauce. pipe the ricotta filling into each shell and nestle in the sauce, repeating until all your filling is used up. top with the remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese and a nice fat drizzle of olive oil

8. cover with foil and bake in the preheated 400 F oven for about 30 minutes. remove the foil and bake at 450F until the cheese is bubbling and golden.

9. remove from the oven and add more grated pecorino, crushed red pepper and basil to serve. omg so yummy, time to eat and enjoy your hard work <3333 serve with a big ol’ peppery lemony arugula or romaine salad on the side if ur feelin it!!! or don’t!!!!!!!!!!

hope u have the best day ever! tag me if you try it!

instagram: @babytamagooo

tiktok: @babytamago