Shrimp & Crab Stuffed Shells in a Spicy Tomato Sauce
INGREDIENTS
For the Seafood Shells
- 1 lb. jumbo pasta shells
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ¼ lbs. raw shrimp chopped
- 1 lb. crab meat
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay or creole seasoning
For the Seafood Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 ½ cups seafood stock
- 2 tablespoon cooking sherry
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
- half a lemon, juiced
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, for topping
INSTRUCTIONS
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Then set a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. (Do not salt the water.)
-
Once the water is boiling, drop the jumbo pasta shells into the water and cook according to the package instructions. (I usually like to throw in a couple of extra shells just in case any of them break.) Once cooked, drain the shells and place them open-side-up in the baking dish.
-
For the Seafood Filling: Meanwhile, set a large skillet (or sauté pan) over medium heat. Place 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Once melted, add the diced onion and garlic to the skillet. Stir and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Then stir in the chopped shrimp pieces. Stir and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes until cooked and pink.
-
Now stir in the crab meat, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, old bay seasoning, chopped parsley, and black pepper. Gently stir until the cream cheese melts and the seafood is well coated in the sauce. Turn off the heat.
-
Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of seafood filling into each jumbo shell. If you have extra filling, it’s OK to go back and add more filling where needed.
-
For the Seafood Sauce: Rinse out the skillet and set it back on the stove over medium heat. Add the butter, black pepper, and flour. As the butter melts, whisk it together with the flour to create a smooth roux. Whisk in the seafood stock, cooking sherry, tomato sauce, heavy cream, and red pepper flakes. Continue to whisk until the sauce comes to a simmer. Allow the sauce to simmer on low for 4-6 minutes to thicken, then turn off the heat. Squeeze in lemon.
-
Carefully pour the seafood sauce over the top of each stuffed shell. Then sprinkle the top with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
-
Bake the shells, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling around the edges of the dish. Serve warm with an extra sprinkling of parsley if desired.
