Cluck & Squeal Crab Stuffed Pasta Shells

 These Cluck & Squeal All Purpose Crab Stuffed Pasta are a perfect baked pasta dish for Good Friday. We like a dish that we can prepare ahead of time and then baked before dinner. Baked dishes are great for entertaining!  The best part of this baked dish is when you pull out that bubbly, hot perfectly cooked pasta dish from the oven.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbs Cluck & Squeal All Purpose Seasoning & BBQ Rub
• 1 cup grated 2-year aged White Cheddar (or your favourite mildly sharp cheese)
• ¼ cup minced red onion
• 2 Tbs butter
• ¼ cup white wine
• ½ cup Mascarpone Cheese
• ¼ cup parmigiana Reggiano (good parmesan cheese)
• 1 cup snow crab meat (substitute with your favourite crab, lobster, shrimp or crawfish)
• ¼ breadcrumbs
• 2 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley

TIP: Fresh or frozen precooked crab is best.  If using canned products you should consider rinsing the meat is cold water and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the stuffing to balance the sodium content from the canned meat.

BONIS TIP: If you want a touch of heat add 1/8 to 1/4 Tbs of Tasty Hot to the seasoning mix based on your heat preference! 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small pan melt the butter on medium heat and add the minced red onion and sauté for 3 to 4 min.  Turn the heat to high and the white wine and continue to saute until white wine evaporates.  Remove the red onion from the pan and let them cool and set aside.
2. Put water on to boil for the pasta shells. Add salt to the water once boiling and add the pasta and cook until al dente.  Do not overcook, a little harder is better they will finish cooking when baking in the sauce.
3. Add all remaining ingredients in a wide bowl good for combining and mixing well.  Add the cooled sautéed red onions last and combine well. 
4. Set oven to bake and pre heat oven at 375F.
5. The stuffing is ready. Carefully stuff the shells with a small espresso spoon or by hand.
6. Add your favourite or homemade tomato sauce to a baking dish that will hold all the shell and fit nice and snuggly.  If the sauce covers the entire shell you have way too much sauce and it will affect the taste for the dish, it will mellow out the beautiful flavours and we don’t want that.  The sauce level should be no higher than quarter inch from the top of pasta shell.
7. Reduce the oven to 350F and baked the past shell covered for 10 minutes.  Uncover the pasta shells for the remaining 20 minutes or until your desired finish.  I like them a little browned and crispy.

Serve and ENJOY!   

PURCHASE CLUCK & SQUEAL ALL PURPOSE SEASONING AND BBQ RUB HERE

PURCHASE CLUCK & SQUEAL TASTY HOT HERE