Making stuffed shells: when I made them last time they seemed to be missing something so I was wondering you?

Question

know how when you go to a restaurant and order them and inside the shell there is ricotta and it has specks of green in it. What is the green? Is it oregano or basil or parsley?
Also how much (of whichever one it is) do I add?

Answer 1

well it probally is all oregano, basil, and parsely mixed toghther. chop them or put in a food processor/chopster. I had an idea that it would be easier to just use pesto b/c pesto is delicious mixed with ricotta cheese. pesto is basil, parsely, and oregano

Answer 2

It is indeed parsley, per one 16 oz container of ricotta you would add 1 teaspoon dried parsley or 1 - 2 fresh
When i make stuffed shells I used one container of ricotta, 1 cup mozarella, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, one egg, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic and 1 teaspoon parsley. Mix well and stuff your shells.

Wonderful. The egg and the mozarella help to hold the cheese together and keep the ricotta from having too gritty of a texture.

Enjoy!

Answer 3

the possible missing ingredients could be:

Parmesan cheese - to taste. 1/4 - 1/2 cup should be sufficient in a standard recipe.

Italian parsley, basil, marjoram or oregano (whichever you like, or a combo of both). Fresh is best, dry will work. Fresh, just use a couple of tablespoons of chopped herbs; dry - a couple of teaspoons should do it.

egg - how much depends on how much stuffing you are making. the egg will make the finished stuffing set up nicely in the shells.

and don't forget salt & pepper - everything, especially bland ricotta, needs to be seasoned. a pinch or two of each.

Answer 4

add some garlic and eggs and basil. You need an egg for every cup or so of ricotta, about a tsp of basil, then as much garlic as you can stand...then fill a bag (like a ziploc), cut off the end a fill like it is a pastry bag. This wors awesome and will be less messy. There is a really good recipe for manacotti filling at www.kraftcanada.ca and shows you the way they use a bag. There is also a huge recipe index there. You can also get a free magazine four times a year from them.

Answer 5

The specks of green may be spinach - here is what I mix together to make cheese stuffed shells:

10 oz. frozen spinach, chopped
2 c. ricotta cheese
1 egg
4 oz. shredded mozzarella
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Pepper to taste
2 cups tomato sauce (homemade or jar) + 2 cups separate
jumbo pasta shells

Cook spinach, drain thoroughly by pressing in between paper towels until most of the moisture is gone.

Cook jumbo shells according to package directions, drain (do not rinse), set aside.

In large bowl, combine spinach, ricotta cheese, egg, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, garlic powder,and pepper.

Stuff into shells and place in greased baking dish. Cover with tomato sauce. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbling.

Serve with extra 2 cups of sauce.

Answer 6

I don't really like oregano, so I use about 1/8 of a cup of chopped fresh parsley and maybe a touch of garlic for a little added flavor. The oregano makes them a little "zingy", so I wouldn't use more than a half of a tablespoon even if I did like oregano, but that's just me. :-)

Answer 7

its definately fresh parsley. i worked at an Italian restaurant for four years. And a little nutmeg to the ricotta tastes fabuloso.

Answer 8

It's oregano..I think about a teaspoon in with the ricotta cheese. GL

Answer 9

Its italian seasonings... add two eggs, seasonings to taste & garlic powder, & 1 bag of italian blend shredded cheeses to your ricotta cheese & your stuffing will be great!!!

Answer 10

it is parsley and just about 1-2 tablespoons