Ingredients
18
jumbo pasta shells (from 12-oz package)
1
jar (26 to 28 oz) tomato pasta sauce
1
egg, slightly beaten
1
container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1
cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
1/4
cup grated Parmesan cheese
2
teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/4
teaspoon garlic powder
18
frozen cooked Italian-style meatballs (from 16-oz bag)
4
to 6 pitted ripe olives, sliced
Red bell pepper, lettuce, sugar snap peas, green grapes, and green onions if desired
Preparation
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook pasta as directed on package; drain. Rinse with cold water to cool; drain well.
Meanwhile, reserve 1 tablespoon pasta sauce; pour remaining sauce into baking dish. In medium bowl, mix egg, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, the basil and garlic powder.
Fill each cooked pasta shell with about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture. Arrange filled shells, cheese mixture up, in dish over sauce. Press 1 meatball into cheese mixture in each shell to resemble eye.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Use drop of reserved pasta sauce to attach ripe olive slice to each meatball to resemble pupil of eye. To create a face, arrange eyes on each plate with red pepper mouth, grape nose, lettuce and sugar snap peas eyebrows and green onion hair.
