Stuffed Shells

Method

1. boil9 min
   well-salted, 2 minutes shy of the package
   shells very al dente, cooled on a sheet so they do not nest and tear — they finish cooking in the sauce's steam, and a fully boiled shell is a torn one by the time it is stuffed; cook a few extras, casualties are certain
2. mix4 min
   ricotta + half the mozzarella + Parmesan + egg + basil + salt + pepper — drained ricotta is the non-negotiable: wet ricotta releases in the oven and the dish arrives swimming; the egg sets the filling so a cut shell holds its shape
3. prep12 min
   sauce below, shells snug
   a cup of marinara across the dish floor, each shell filled with a generous spoonful and seated open-side up in one layer — the sauce underneath is what steams the shells' bottoms tender where the oven's top heat cannot reach
4. bake25 min
   375°F, covered, sauce over and around
   remaining marinara spooned around (not drowning) the shells, foil on — covered is where the pasta finishes and the filling heats through without the top drying to leather
5. bake10 min
   375°F, uncovered, remaining mozzarella on
   until the cheese is molten and freckled brown at the edges — the uncovered finish is only for the top; everything underneath was already done
6. rest8 min
   before serving — straight from the oven the filling is lava and the sauce is thin; eight minutes sets both