Cheesy Monster Eyes Recipe

Cheesy Monster Eyes Recipe

  • 18 jumbo pasta shells
  • 1 (26 ounce) jar tomato pasta sauce
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 18 frozen, cooked Italian-style meatballs
  • 4 black olives, sliced
  • sliced red bell peppers
  • lettuce
  • sugar snap peas
  • green grapes
  • green onions
  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray bottom only of 13×9″ glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook pasta according to package instructions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain.
  2. Meanwhile, reserve 1 tablespoon pasta sauce; pour remaining sauce into baking dish.
  3. In medium bowl, mix egg, ricotta cheese, Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, basil and garlic powder.
  4. Fill each cooked pasta shell with about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture. Arrange filled shells, cheese mixture up, in dish over pasta sauce. Press 1 meatball in the center of each cheese-filled pasta shell to resemble an eye.
  5. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes. Use drop of reserved pasta sauce to attach olive slice to each meatball for the pupil of the eye. To create a face, arrange eyes on each plate with red pepper mouth, grape nose, lettuce and sugar snap pea eyebrows and green onion hair.