Clams Casino Stuffed Pasta Shells Recipe
Clams Casino Stuffed Pasta Shells is a tasty recipe inspired by Chef John's favorite childhood appetizer. This recipe brings together the flavors of clams, bacon, buttery breadcrumbs, and more. The recipe starts by toasting bread cubes in the oven until they are dried out. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp and render out the fat. Remove the excess fat and cook diced onions, peppers, and garlic in the same pan. Add clam juice and cook until the liquid evaporates. Remove from heat and mix in the reserved clams, bread cubes, salt, pepper, cayenne, parsley, ricotta, and Parmesan cheese. Stuff the mixture into cooked pasta shells and arrange them over a white sauce made with flour, butter, and milk. Top with more white sauce and Parmesan cheese before baking in the oven until the pasta is tender and the top is golden brown. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon for extra flavor. Enjoy this delicious Clams Casino Stuffed Pasta Shells with friends and family for a memorable meal.
Ingredients:
- bread cubes
- bacon
- onion
- red and green peppers
- garlic
- canned chopped clams
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- cayenne
- parsley
- ricotta cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- flour
- butter
- milk
- jumbo pasta shells
- lemon
Cooking steps:
- Toast bread cubes in the oven until dried out.
- Cook bacon until crisp and remove excess fat.
- Cook diced onions and peppers until softened, then add minced garlic.
- Strain canned clams, reserving the juice. Stir in clam juice and cook until almost all the liquid evaporates.
- Remove from heat and mix in reserved clams, bread cubes, salt, pepper, cayenne, parsley, ricotta cheese, and Parmesan cheese.
- Stuff the mixture into cooked pasta shells and place them over a white sauce made with flour, butter, and milk.
- Top with more white sauce and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes, until pasta is tender and the top is golden brown.
- Squeeze fresh lemon over the top before serving.
