Pizza Shells

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Servings: 6
Yield: 6 servings

Description

Jumbo shells are surrounded by easy marinara sauce, stuffed with green peppers, mushrooms, onions, and shredded cheese, topped with mini pepperoni slices, and baked for a pizza-flavored main dish.

Ingredients

2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 (12 ounce) box jumbo pasta shells
1 (6 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (6 ounce) package of sliced mini pepperoni

Directions

1 Place crushed tomatoes, canola oil, oregano, basil, and sugar into a large saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook the sauce, stirring frequently, until the flavors have blended, about 30 minutes.
2 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3 Fill a large pot with lightly salted water, and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in the shell pasta, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the shells are cooked but still firm, about 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
4 Mix the mushrooms, green pepper, and onion in a bowl. To stuff the shells, spoon about 1 teaspoon of tomato sauce into a shell; sprinkle with the mushroom, green pepper, and onion mixture. Top the shell with about 1 tablespoon of Monterey Jack cheese. Repeat for remaining shells and filling, and place the stuffed shells into a 9x13-inch baking dish side by side and touching. Place several slices of mini pepperoni on each shell. Pour the remaining tomato sauce gently around the shells.
5 Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and browned and the pepperoni slices are crisp, about 30 minutes.