Molto Buono Gluten Free Stuffed Shells

Yes, you can still have good Italian style dishes if you eat gluten free.

A lesson in Gluten Free stuffed shells. You will need to use a brown rice pasta shell and there are companies that make very good shells (I use a brand out of Canada). Brown rice shells cook very much the same as wheat but the cooking time differs, follow the directions and check about three minutes before the timer is set to go off. All it takes is a large pot of water and some salt. Let water come to a boil, add shells,stir them a bit and set timer. You want the shells to be soft but still hold shape. Drain brown rice pasta shells and rinse because rice pasta produces a lot of starch. Set aside to cool, shells are ready to stuff.

Making a basic cheese stuffing is simple. I use one 15oz container of part skim ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of pecorino romano, 2 tsp minced garlic, black pepper, and a pinch of Italian seasoning (add an egg if it is not holding together well). You can add cooked meats, spinach or get creative. A basic cheese filling can stand on its own. Mix ingredients until combined and now you are ready to stuff the shells. Take a shell add about 2 tsp of cheese to the shell, don't over stuff. Place shell in a baking dish that has had a bit of sauce spread on the bottom (prevents sticking). Keep filling shells until you run out cheese mixture. Add a bit more sauce (make you own or buy a good GF brand jar sauce) and then top with a bit of mozzarella. Cook 350 for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. (You may want to place foil over the dish for the first 10 minutes of baking.)