3 Herb Alfredo & Stuffed Shells

This was a weeknight creation I made using a hoard of leftovers. I debated whether or not I should post this (since there is not really a set recipe) but then I thought, this is delicious, cheap (if you already have a few ingredients around), easy and it uses leftovers. Yours doesn't have to be exactly like mine, use this meal/idea to jump start your own using what you have. Stuff the shells with whatever you want. Use the 3 Herb Alfredo for any yummy pasta dish- have fun! What I really love is the reverse to the typical stuffed shells, most recipes do a cheesy stuffing with a tomato/meat sauce for on top- try reversing it- I like it better this way.

Ingredients

1 box jumbo pasta shells (I had a about 12 extra- I ran out of sauce so my 2 year old ate the rest up plain)

Leftover tomato meat sauce of your choice (something thick so that it will stay put in the shells, I used a meaty basil pomodoro sauce)

1 recipe 3 herb alfredo (bellow)

3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

3 Herb Alfredo

1 1/2 cups heavy cream (for a lighter sauce use 1 cup cream 1/2 cup milk)

5 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/8 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped (I used my leftover thyme herb butter, which took care of the butter, thyme and parsley. The recipe for the butter is under the sides tab)

2 tablespoons fresh italian parsley, finely chopped

* I haven't tried it, but you can use dried herbs if you don't have fresh (1 tbs basil, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp parsley)

Preheat oven to 350

Place pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water. Cook for about 6 minutes, pasta should be very al dente, as it will finish cooking in the oven.

Place shells on lightly oiled baking sheet, keep them separate to prevent sticking. Let cool for about 5 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, make the alfredo. Melt butter on low, add remaining ingredients, turn heat up to medium and stir constantly until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Leave sauce on very low heat, stirring occasionally until poured over pasta.

Pour 1/2 cup alfredo sauce into a large casserole dish. Make sure bottom of dish is covered with thin layer of sauce, add a little extra if necessary.

To assemble, gently stuff 2 hefty tablespoons of leftover tomato meat sauce into the prepared shells. Place over sauce in baking dish. Once all shells are stuffed, pour remaining sauce over pasta, top with parmesan and mozzarella.

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.