Creamy Pasta Shells (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

01 - Medium pasta shells, 8 ounces.
02 - Olive oil, 1 tablespoon.
03 - Ground beef, 1 pound.
04 - Sweet onion, finely diced, 1 small.
05 - Fresh garlic, minced, 5 cloves.
06 - Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon.
07 - Dried parsley, 1 teaspoon.
08 - Dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon.
09 - Smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon.
10 - All-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons.
11 - Beef stock, 1 cup.
12 - Marinara sauce, 15 ounces.
13 - Heavy cream, 3/4 cup.
14 - Sour cream, 1/4 cup.
15 - Cheddar cheese, freshly grated, 1 1/2 cups.
16 - Kosher salt and black pepper to taste.

# Instructions:

01 - Boil shells in salted water following package directions. Drain and set aside.
02 - Heat oil in large skillet, cook beef until browned (3-5 minutes), breaking it up as it cooks. Drain fat.
03 - In same skillet, cook onion 2 minutes, add garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
04 - Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Gradually add beef stock and marinara, then stir in all seasonings.
05 - Let sauce bubble then reduce heat. Cook 6-8 minutes until thickened, stirring now and then.
06 - Add pasta and beef back to pan. Stir in cream, sour cream, and cheese until melted and hot.

# Notes:

01 - Sauce will thicken more as it cools.
02 - Freshly grated cheese melts better than pre-shredded.
03 - Can adjust sauce thickness with pasta water.

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