Easy Beef Stuffed Shells

Steve loves this sort of thing. Lasagna type stuff. I think it tastes good too, plus I like that it usually makes so much we have a ton of leftovers (at least until our kids get bigger and become bottomless pits). This is from Simple & Delicious June/July 2011.

Easy Beef Stuffed Shells
20 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (I would make a few extra in case some break)
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 carton (15 oz) ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend, divided (I did buy this, but you could also just use mozzarella if you have it already)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup prepared pesto (if you have a weak stomach, don't read this: this looked like stuff I know I have wiped from my children's as well as several unfortunate patient's butts...but it smelled pretty good...such a weird dichotomy)
1 egg
1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce, divided

Cook pasta shells according to package directions to al dente; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups Italian cheese blend, parmesan cheese, pesto, egg, and half the beef.

Spread 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce into a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Spoon cheese mixture into pasta shells; place in baking dish. Combine remaining beef and spaghetti sauce; pour over shells. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. At this point you can cover and refrigerate overnight. If you do that, remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Then, either way, cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Of course this was really really good. And the pesto replaces the spices you would usually add, like basil and oregano or whatever. I don't think I've ever cooked with anything quite so gross looking though. But once it was all mixed in with the other ingredients you couldn't even tell. Everybody liked this. Even Nathan. He wasn't crazy about the cheese mixture, but liked the meat and the shell. Picture him peeling the shell off of the filling and freaking out if any cheese was on it, and that's what happened. Since recipes like this make my husband love me more, I am definitely keeping it.