Recipe: Seafood-Stuffed Shells (stuffed pasta shells with tomato-cream sauce)

SEAFOOD-STUFFED SHELLS

30 jumbo pasta shells, uncooked
Salt
FOR THE SAUCE:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 cup heavy (whipping) cream
FOR THE SEAFOOD MIXTURE:
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled, deveined and coarsely chopped
1 pound scrod fillet, coarsely chopped
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas
FOR THE BREAD-CRUMB TOPPING:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed with side of chef's knife
2 slices firm white bread, torn into 1/4-inch pieces

Prepare pasta shells in boiling salted water, as package label directs. Drain shells and rinse with cold running water to stop cooking; drain again. Arrange shells in single layer on waxed paper and set aside.

TO PREPARE THE SAUCE:
Meanwhile, in 4-quart saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer, stirring frequently.

Add clam juice and cook 7 minutes over high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup.

Stir in tomatoes with their puree, breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon. Add tomato paste, sugar and crushed red pepper; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; partially cover and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in cream and cook 2 minutes longer; remove saucepan from heat.

TO PREPARE THE SEAFOOD MIXTURE:
Transfer 1 cup tomato sauce to 3-quart saucepan. Add shrimp and scrod and cook over medium-high heat until seafood just turns opaque throughout, about 5 minutes, gently stirring occasionally.

Remove the saucepan from heat; stir equal amounts of frozen peas into both saucepans; set aside.

TO PREPARE THE BREAD-CRUMB TOPPING:
In nonstick, 10-inch skillet, heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Add bread and cook until it is golden, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Discard garlic. Set aside.

TO STUFF AND BAKE THE SHELLS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Fill each pasta shell with 2 heaping tablespoons seafood mixture and place in a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish. Pour tomato sauce over stuffed shells. Spoon bread crumbs over stuffed shells.

Bake 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Makes 10 main-dish servings
Adapted from source: Good Housekeeping 100 Best Pasta Recipes, 2003