Quick & Easy Baked Shells w/ Tomato Basil & Arugula Pesto
Grab a jar of our Pretty Sauced Tomato Basil for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Baked stuffed shells will please the entire family.
I often reach for a jar of Pretty Sauced Tomato Basil because it is the easiest way to make a meal fast. Quick and easy dinners are needed during our busy weekdays, and baked shells are a family favorite. There are plenty of baked shell recipes; however, I use Cookie and Kate’s recipe the most. I promise that using a jar of Pretty Sauced Tomato Basil and a few scoops of Pretty Sauced Arugula Pesto reduces prep time and adds an incredible flavor.
The brightness of the Tomato Basil sauce balances the cheesy richness of the stuffed pasta shells. The Arugula Pesto mixed in with the ricotta is a quick way to add some depth of flavor, nutrition, and color. Plus, you get to skip a few of the recipe’s steps — like draining frozen spinach, which is no fun. Toss a simple mixed green salad with olive oil, a couple of lemon squeezes, salt, and pepper, and you have dinner in under an hour.
Step By Step
Set oven to 425 degrees.
Boil the jumbo pasta shells in salted boiling water for 10 minutes.
Drain pasta and toss with a bit of olive oil.
While the pasta boils, mix 1/4 cup of Arugula Pesto with ricotta and mozzarella cheese, salt, freshly cracked pepper, and a dash of dried chili pepper flakes.
Check for flavor before mixing in the raw egg to ensure the seasoning is to your liking.
Pour about a cup of Tomato Basil into the roasting pan.
Add a heaping spoonful into each shell and place each stuffed shell on top of the Tomato Basil.
Add a second cup of Tomato Basil over the top of the shells, and sprinkle the remainder of the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly.
Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
While the shells are baking, mix up the salad.
Serve and devour.
Other Ways of Using Tomato Basil
lasagna
veggie chili
tomato soup
American goulash
baked burrata
meatball sandwich
pizza sauce
“Certain antioxidants, such as lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, are more available to be absorbed by the body when a tomato is cooked. ”
The Underestimated Tomato Basil
Our Tomato Basil can turn anything into a quick and easy meal, so get going and start cooking. If you loved it, let us know! Tag #prettyprovisioned and #prettysauced if you share. Stay tuned for more Pretty Sauced sauce recipes for your next incredibly easy and satisfying meal.
Quick & Easy Baked Shells - With Tomato Basil & Arugula Pesto
Ingredients
- 12 ounces jumbo shells
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces (2 cups) grated part-skim mozzarella, divided
- 1/4 cup of Pretty Sauced Arugula Pesto
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- A pinch of red pepper flakes
- Pinch of salt, to taste
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten with a fork
- 2 cups of Pretty Sauced Tomato Basil sauce
- Freshly grated parmesan and parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Set oven to 425 degrees.
- Boil the jumbo pasta shells in salted boiling water for 10 minutes.
- Drain pasta and toss with a bit of olive oil.
- While the pasta boils, mix 1/4 cup of Arugula Pesto with ricotta and mozzarella cheese, salt, freshly cracked pepper, and a dash of red pepper flakes.
- Check for flavor before mixing in the raw egg to ensure the seasoning is to your liking.
- Pour about a cup of Tomato Basil into the roasting pan.
- Add a heaping spoonful into each shell and place each stuffed shell on top of the Tomato Basil.
- Add a second cup of Tomato Basil over the top of the shells, and sprinkle the remainder of the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly.
- Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
- While the shells are baking, mix up the salad.
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and a sprinkling of grated parmesan.
- Serve and devour.
If you made this, love it and find it very pretty to photograph, please share on Instagram and tag us! www.instagram.com/prettyprovisioned
“El Diablo” Fried Dill Pickles
Grab a jar of our Pretty Pickled “El Diablo” Pickles and make the easiest and most satisfying snack the whole family will love.
The good news? January is behind us, and we can finally indulge again! Yipee! My guilty pleasure is salty, crunchy, and piping hot fried anything. One of my favorites is a Fried Dill Pickle. After my Saturday farmer’s market, you can often find me at the pub on the corner enjoying a Guinness, fried pickles, and “proper” chips with curry (my other serious infatuation). I can never wait for the fried dill pickles to cool, so I am always doing the burn-my-mouth-eye-watering dance. We have all been there. I also often have to share them with my family, and it is usually me asking, “Who wants the last one?” A rhetorical question, of course, because it is me…always.
It was time I tried making fried pickles at home. Even though I have no problem gobbling up fried food at restaurants, I seem to shy away from frying at home. After searching, I found a recipe from Spend With Pennies that seemed easy enough, and I just happened to have all the ingredients in my pantry. My only change was using my Pretty Pickled “El Diablo” pickled chips instead of adding cayenne. So happy I did. The result was a crunchy, full of flavor, and a little bit spicy, fried dill pickle…and yes, I used fresh dill in the batter. Yum! I dipped them in a simple dip made with taco seasoning and sour cream. Also, something I had in my pantry.
I stopped myself from eating the entire plate so I could have a few left to test on my 14-year-old twins. As was anticipated, they ate the rest, and now I have a go-to fried dill pickle recipe that my entire family loves. They are worth the time spent making - and the calories!
Step By Step
Set up two sheet pan trays, one lined with paper towels and the other lined with parchment paper.
Wisk all the ingredients for the batter in a shallow bowl and let rest.
Mix the panko with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a second shallow bowl.
Grab a jar of Pretty Pickled El Diablo spicy pickle chips. A jar of Mom’s Famous will be just as awesome.
Place the El Diablo pickle chips on the paper towel-lined sheet pan and pat them dry with paper towels.
Dip the El Diablo pickle chips first in the batter and then into the panko. Make sure the entire front and back are pressed and coated with panko. Set aside on the parchment-lined sheet pan.
Fry in small batches on each side for 3-4 minutes, and place on paper towels.
For the dipping sauce: Combine taco seasoning with a cup of sour cream to taste.
Enjoy!
Dip and fry the red bell pepper as well for color, flavor, and fun. Save the dill from the jar to chop up and add to the batter.
Tips:
Don’t worry about covering the sides of the pickle with panko. I found it wasn't easy to fry the sides.
I used avocado oil, and it worked perfectly
Chop the fresh dill from the jar to add to the batter for a punch of flavor.
Batter and fry the red bell pepper too!
It is important the oil is hot enough. Try dropping a bit of batter in the pan. If you have a thermometer, 350 - 375 degrees is ideal.
Our Mom’s Famous Dill Pickle spear works great with this recipe.
Try experimenting with other dipping sauces.
Be careful not to burn your mouth if eating right away.
One jar of Pretty Pickled El Diablo or Mom’s Famous is the perfect amount for this recipe.
Try pickling your own pickle first with the help of our Pretty Pickled DIY Pickling Packets.
"El Diablo" Fried Dill Pickles
Ingredients
- Jar of Pretty Pickled El Diablo Pickles
- 2-3 cups of Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
- Oil for frying
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (I like McCormick's original)
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Set up two sheet pan trays, one lined with paper towels and the other lined with parchment paper.
- Preheat oil to 360-370°F
- Wisk all the ingredients for the batter in a shallow bowl and let rest.
- Mix the panko with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a second shallow bowl.
- Place the El Diablo pickle chips on the paper towel-lined sheet pan and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Dip the chips first in the batter and then into the panko. Make sure the entire front and back are pressed and coated with panko. Set aside on the parchment-lined sheet pan.
- Fry in small batches on each side for 3-4 minutes, and place on paper towels.
- For the dipping sauce: Combine taco seasoning with sour cream.
- Enjoy
If you made this, love it and find it very pretty to photograph, please share on Instagram and tag us! www.instagram.com/prettyprovisioned
Baked Tortellini (Quick & 100% Satisfying)
Grab a jar of our Pretty Sauced Alfredo for the easiest and most satisfying dinner for your family. It all comes together in less than 30 minutes and will please the pickiest of eaters. Reward yourself tonight!
Our Alfredo sauce is just the yummiest. It is the best reward when a reward is just what you need. Also, my kids gobble anything up that has this sauce on it. Our Alfredo sauce is so good that my neighbor knocks on my door weekly, hoping I have a jar tucked away in my freezer for her. Which I usually do because it is my secret weapon. The combination of butter, cream, and parmesan cheese is 100% satisfying.
One evening, while making my grocery list for the next day, I stumbled upon a Food Network list of easy dinners, and a “Skillet Chicken Tortellini Alfredo” recipe got my attention. As usual, I immediately thought our Alfredo would be awesome in this. Not only was it amazing, but it was effortless to make, and if that wasn’t enough, my kids LOVED it. Yay! Sometimes I feel like making dinner is a crap shoot. Sometimes, you win big (sometimes, not so much), and this was a good night.
Step By Step
Dumb entire contents of Pretty Sauced Alfredo into the pan and heat to a simmer.
Add tortellini and simmer until cooked through.
Add the sliced chicken.
Sprinkle bread crumbs, and fresh parmesan cheese on top.
Bake in the oven until chicken is just cooked through. It should be bubbling and starting to brown on top. About 10-15 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle the chopped parsley.
Interesting Add Ons
peas
spinach
ham
broccoli
prosciutto
Italian sausage
Pretty Sauced Arugula Pesto
Serve this glorious meal with a beautiful mixed green salad, and dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes!
Alfredo For Days
Our Alfredo can make a flip-flop taste good, so get going and start cooking. If you loved it, let me know! Tag #prettyprovisioned and #prettysauced if you share. Stay tuned for more Pretty Sauced sauces recipes for your next incredibly easy and satisfying meal.
Baked Tortellini Alfredo
Ingredients
- Jar of Pretty Sauced Alfredo
- 18 ounces of fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/4 pounds)
- 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Dump entire contents or Pretty Sauced Alfredo and heat to a simmer
- Add the tortellini and simmer until cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken and sprinkle with the bread crumbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- Bake until the chicken is just cooked through, and the sauce starts to turn golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Finish with the chopped parsley.
If you made this, love it and find it very pretty to photograph, please share on Instagram and tag us! www.instagram.com/prettyprovisioned