Shell pasta with creamy cheesecake, fresh strawberries, and white chocolate, chilled in muffin cups for easy sharing.
# The Ingredients You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 200 g (7 oz) small shell pasta
02 - Pinch of salt
→ Cheesecake Filling
03 - 225 g (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
04 - 80 g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
05 - 120 ml (1/2 cup) heavy cream, cold
06 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
07 - Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
→ Topping
08 - 200 g (1 1/2 cups) fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
09 - 100 g (3.5 oz) white chocolate, chopped
# Step-by-Step Instructions:
01 - Cook the shell pasta in salted boiling water until just al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool completely. Set aside.
02 - In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest, and mix well.
03 - In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until fully combined.
04 - Add the cooled pasta to the cheesecake mixture and fold gently to coat all shells.
05 - Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Divide the pasta-cheesecake mixture evenly among the cups, pressing gently to fill.
06 - Top each cup with diced strawberries.
07 - Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the strawberries.
08 - Chill the cups in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or until set. Serve cold.
