For Christmas, we decided to share a recipe from one our our Bravo store owners, Elvin Rodriguez.
Elvin has owned his store, located in West Park, Florida, since October 2017. He got into the grocery industry at the age of 12 when he found an apprenticeship at an Italian Deli in New York City. There he learned the ins & outs of the grocery industry by working his way up, first by washing dishes, then eventually becoming a partner of a grocery store with his brother-in-law. Supermarkets gave him the liberty of placing orders, managing employees and solving problems; basically, he fell in love with calling all the shots. He took what he learned through his opportunities and finally opened up his own store.
Christmas is Elvin's FAVORITE holiday because he is able to spend quality time with his family, give them gifts, and decorate his home and store with lights and other christmas necessities. His favorite dish to eat, and make, for Christmas is Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells!
Check out his family's Holiday recipe, Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells, below:
Ingredients:
- 12 oz Jumbo Pasta Shells
- 4 cups Ricotta Cheese
- 2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- ½ cup Shaved Parmesan Cheese
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tbsp Parsley, chopped
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1/8 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1 Jar (24 oz) Pasta Sauce or Meat Sauce
Directions:
- Heat oven to 375ºF
- Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain and cool.
- Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together cheeses, eggs, parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- In 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish, spread ½ cup of pasta sauce.
- Fill each cooked shell with about 1-1/2 level tablespoons cheese mixture; layer one-half filled shells in-prepared dish.
- Spread one-half remaining sauce over shells; layer. Remaining filled shells over sauce.
- Spread remaining sauce over shells; sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Cover with foil; bake 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
ENJOY!