Sun-dried tomato cashew stuffed pasta shells

Here's a baked pasta dish that has a nutty twist - literally.

This recipe calls for cashews in the standard ricotta cheese filling that we all know and love in our jumbo shells, manicotti, lasagna or whatever. We're also tossing in some sun dried tomatoes, which add some tang to the cheese mixture as well as the marinara.

Simply blend and fill your pasta. It's easy. I would sprinkle some broken cashews on top along with the cheese before baking for a little extra nutty crunch.

Sun-dried tomato cashew stuffed pasta shells
Ingredients:
Filling:
1 C. cashews
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
12 ounces ricotta cheese
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
For shells:
1 package jumbo pasta shells
1 jar marinara
1/3 C. sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
mozzarella or Parmesan, as desired
Directions:
For filling: In a food processor, blend cashews lemon juice, olive oil and garlic until creamy. Add ricotta and basil and blend until thoroughly combined. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions. Spray a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and cover with a thin layer of marinara topped with a thin layer of sun dried tomatoes. Fill the pasta shells with cashew mixture and place in baking dish. Pour remaining marinara on top and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or so.