Chili Basil Turkey Stuffed Shells
The way my creative brain works is that I get a craving for something, but it is usually pretty vague. This time it was stuffed shells but I had no idea what I wanted to put in them. I was running through some options, and at first I was leaning towards Thai green curry. I decided using a chili basil sauce would fit better in the pasta shells. I was originally planning to not add cheese, but at the last minute I realized provolone would be a great match and I am glad I added it.
Turkey, garlic, ginger, sambol, honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, and green beans. A few minutes later, tons of basil.
Then you stuff those shells!
The sauce was coconut milk, soy sauce, and more chili paste. Don’t overdo it with the provolone! A light touch was just right.
These came out so good! Really unique flavors and just enough heat.
The slight smokey notes in the provolone paired so well and added a great layer of creaminess to the coconut milk sauce.
Chili Basil Turkey Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 inches ginger grated
- 1/4 cup sambol chili paste
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 cup chopped green beans
- 1 cup chopped basil (about a bunch)
- 16 pasta shells cooked al dente
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sambol chili paste
- 3 slices provolone cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan with olive oil and add in the turkey. Cook until cooked through and starting to brown.
- Add in the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the chili paste, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and green beans. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the basil and remove from heat.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Once the turkey mixture is cooled a bit, fill the shells with as much of the turkey mixture as you can fit. Place the finished shells into a baking dish so they fight tightly.
- Mix the coconut milk, soy sauce, and chili paste in a measuring cup and stir to combine.
- Rip up the provolone slices and top the shells evenly with it. Pour the coconut mixture over the shells until it is 3/4 of the way up.
- Bake for 25 minutes until the cheese is melted, the sauce is bubbling, and the edges are starting to brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
These shells are so sexy! (It’s the cheese, so I’m glad you added it.) They also seem refreshingly different. I would love to try it.