For the Tie Dye Stuffed Shells:

• If you are making your own pesto, do so first by following the recipe here.
• Fill a large pot with water and season generously with a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil.

• Start by making the vodka sauce. Heat up 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add in the shallots and a pinch of salt and cook until soft and translucent. Add in 1 tbsp of butter and once melted, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

• Add the tomato paste and cook for 6-8 minutes on medium low heat, stirring occasionally until a deep red color.

• While the tomato paste is cooking, add the shells to your pot of boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, drain the pasta, and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.

• Once the tomato paste has deepened in color, add in your vodka and stir. Let the alcohol cook out for 2-3 minutes or until all liquid has evaporated.

• Reduce the heat to low and add in your heavy cream, stirring until well combined. Add in ½ cup of pasta water and your parmesan cheese and stir until smooth. If you want a looser sauce you can add a bit more pasta water. Season with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper and mix in the Calabrian chili paste if desired. Taste and adjust for seasoning, then shut off the heat and set aside.

• Make your filling by mixing together the ricotta cheese, roasted garlic (if using), mozzarella, parmesan, salt, and pepper to taste. Swirl in about ½ cup of fresh pesto and set aside (you don’t want to overmix, just nice little pockets of pesto).

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.

• Spread the vodka sauce in the bottom of a 9×13″ pan.

• Add your ricotta filling to a ziplock bag in one corner, and cut ½” off the corner. Pipe about 2 tbsps of filling into each shell and add them to the pan. Continue until you have used up all the filling.

• Gently push the shells a bit deeper into the pasta sauce, then top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray and gently wrap the pan with foil.

• Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes covered, then uncover and bake for 10 minutes more. Broil for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly, keeping a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

• Just before serving, top with dollops of fresh pesto. Serve immediately and enjoy!