when i think about stuffed shells, i think of a dish that is a bit complicated – similar to the many steps it takes to make lasagna – and thus relegated to special events. so when we had a special event to cook for this weekend (bringing food to our friends’ house to spend time with them and their new baby), this was the first dish i thought about making.
little did i know that this would turn out to be one of the most effortless dishes to create – all it took was boiling jumbo pasta shells, thawing frozen chopped spinach, stirring that with some ricotta, parmesan, garlic, and parsley, and then stuffing this mixture into the pasta. the spinach and cheese mixture took as long to make as it took the pasta to boil, so the prep time was ridiculously short. after a 30 minute bake in the oven, we were ready to transport this yummy dish to our friends’ house, along with some roasted asparagus and sourdough loaves.
despite the ease of preparation, this dish tastes so delicious that it could easily be mistaken for a complicated, lengthy recipe, in which hours of your time were spent sweating over a hot stove. i see no reason to clarify that you only spent 15-20 minutes putting it together, though, so i won’t tell if you won’t! :)
one year ago: cashew tempeh with noodles
ricotta spinach stuffed shells
yields 8 servings of 4 shells
adapted from all recipes.com
- 32 jumbo pasta shells
- 2 x 10oz packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed then drained (i love cascadian farms)
- 2c ricotta cheese
- 1c grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1T dried basil
- 3T chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 1/2c spaghetti sauce
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- preheat oven to 350º
- boil a large pot of water, add a generous amount of salt and olive oil, then add the jumbo shells
- cook the shells for about 12 minutes or until al dente, then drain and immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking
- pour enough spaghetti sauce into a 9×13 pan to cover the bottom of the pan, so the shells don’t stick
- after thoroughly squeezing excess liquid from the spinach (i like using a wooden spoon and a sieve to push the liquid out), place in a large bowl with the ricotta, 1/3c parmesan cheese, basil, 2T parsley, garlic, and salt & pepper to taste, then mix the ingredients well
- spoon the spinach cheese mixture into the shells, then place them into the 9×13 pan, placing them filling side up
- pour the rest of the spaghetti sauce over the shells, then sprinkle with the the remaining 2/3c parmesan cheese and 1T parsley
- cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until the sauce around the shells is bubbling, the parmesan cheese is melted, and the shells are hot all the way through
- serve with asparagus (if in season) or a salad and fresh bread, and enjoy!