"A savory, mildly spiced twist on traditional stuffed shells. Perfect for taco night cravings."
turkey chorizo + cilantro pesto stuffed shells
5
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- Recipe Card
Prep time: 45mins
Cook time: 25mins
Serves or Makes: 6
Recipe Card
ingredients
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 bunches stems removed cilantro
- 1/2 diced green pepper
- 3 peeled garlic cloves
- 1 juiced lime
- 3 ounces queso fresco
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 16 ounces Diestel ground turkey
- 1 shot tequila
- 12 ounces jumbo shells
- diced small red peper
- 8 ounces diced canned tomato
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 2 ounces shredded Mexican blend cheese
- salt
- pepper
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2
Boil 4-6 quarts of salted water in a large pot.
Step 3
Add the jumbo shells to the pot of boiling water, cook 1 minute under the package direction (usually about 8 minutes).
Step 4
When the shells have finished cooking, drain them in a colander and let cool on a cutting board or a sheet pan. Separate them so they don’t cool stuck together.
Step 5
Meanwhile add cilantro, diced green pepper, almonds, red pepper flakes, salt, queso fresco, garlic cloves, and a few shakes of salt to the food processor. Pulse until well blended.
Step 6
Slowly drizzle 2 tbsps of avocado oil and the lime juice while the pulsing continues. Give it a taste and add more liquid of your choice (oil or lime juice) to achieve a smooth texture with a green specks.
Step 7
In a separate bowl, mix 16oz of ricotta and 2 oz (about a handful) of shredded Mexican blend cheese until incorporated.
Step 8
Mix 2/3 c. of the pesto into the cheese mixture.
Step 9
Spoon the pesto-cheese mixture into each jumbo shell. I prefer my shells to be about 1/2-2/3 full of cheese so it’s not cheese overload, but the world is your oyster. Set each shell back in the area you were cooling them.
Step 10
When the shells are filled, heat 1 tbsp. of avocado oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Step 11
Add the turkey chorizo. Brown for about 10 minutes. separating it with the tip of your wooden spoon.
Step 12
Add a splash of tequila to deglaze the pan, cook for 1 minute until you can no longer smell the alcohol.
Step 13
Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and red pepper to the cast iron skillet with the turkey. (Note: If you prefer creamy sauce, you can take any amount of the remaining pesto-cheese mixture and stir it into the sauce!)
Step 14
Simmer the sauce for about 5 minutes.
Step 15
Take your shells and place them into the cast iron, pushing them into the sauce. Use a spoon to cover some of the shells with the sauce if you feel like they aren’t being covered enough.
Step 16
Sprinkle a little cilantro and mixed Mexican blend cheese over the top.
Step 17
Place the cast iron skillet with the sauce + shells into the oven for 20-25 minutes. (If the cheese isn’t look as brown as you want, pop that broiler on for a minute before taking it out of the oven!)