Turkey (or sausage or beef) and Artichoke Stuffed Shells

My friend Barb from work shared this one with me. (I have several of her recipes, and they are great!) I made a couple of slight alterations to suit our personal tastes. This made a lot...I was able to fill two 8x11 baking dishes, so I served one and froze one for later.

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells

One 12 oz. box jumbo pasta shells
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion - chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic - chopped
1 lb. ground turkey (I used ground sausage, and ground beef would also work if you prefer)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
One 8-10 oz. package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed (Every once in awhile I have a hard time finding frozen artichoke hearts. You could use canned, but don't use marinated.)
One 15 oz. container ricotta cheese (I used 1/2 cottage cheese because my husband prefers this)
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
5 c. Arrabbiata sauce (recipe follows)
(I also used most of a bottle of Bertolli's alfredo sauce, I'll explain below)
1 1/2 c. grated mozzarella cheese (about 5 oz.)

Cook pasta according to package directions, until tender but still quite firm. Drain pasta. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and continue to cook, until the meat is cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese (and cottage cheese if desired), Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Cover the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish with 1 cup of the Arrabbiata sauce. (I used Alfredo sauce on the bottom of the pan, and the Arrabbiata sauce on top. My husband likes a little cream-based sauce mixed in with a tomato based sauce, so this gave a little of each.)

Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes until shells are warmed through and cheese is beginning to brown. (Can freeze for up to one month; however, you'll need to cook it for 60 minutes if frozen.)

Arrabbiata Sauce

2 Tbsp. olive oil
6 oz. pancetta, coarsely chopped (similar to bacon but no grease when cooked)
2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (I reduced this a little, because I'll admit I'm a wimp when it comes to spicy food)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5 c. marinara sauce (from a jar)

Saute pancetta in olive oil until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute one minute. Add marinara sauce and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer; remove from heat and let cool until ready to serve (or use in recipe above).