Baked Shells with Pesto, Mozzarella and Meat Sauce

The date on the calendar said it was spring, early summer, but the temperature said likewise.  So cooking up some comfort food that we can run the oven and add a little heat to the house.  

I found the original recipe on Food and Wine, but I changed a few things based on what I had available.  I used Italian sausage and crushed tomatoes, where the original had ground beef and chopped tomatoes, drained.  The sausage and the crushed tomatoes gave this great flavor and easy to use.  I had some homemade pesto from last year's crop to use.  When I make pesto, i freeze some in ice cube trays and then once frozen place them in a freezer bag for ease.  

Give this casserole a try.  It is great for leftovers. 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 onion, chopped

1 pound ground Italian sausage (mild)

2 cups canned crushed tomatoes,  (from 1 [28-ounce] can)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup store-bought or homemade pesto

3/4 pound medium pasta shells

6 ounces mozzarella, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Heat the oven to 400°F. Oil a large baking dish (about 9 x 13 inches).

In a large stainless-steel frying pan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the sausage and cook, breaking it up, until the meat is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Drain off any excess fat.

Add the tomatoes and salt to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook until most of the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pesto.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the shells until just done, about 10 minutes. Drain and toss with the sauce. Put half of the pasta into the prepared baking dish and top with half the mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan. Repeat with the remaining pasta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Bake until bubbling, about 15 minutes.