Stuffed Shells - Comfort Food for Dinner
Here is your daily indulgence…
Today I’m making melt-in-your mouth vegetarian stuffed shells, a dish that everyone will love. Each large pasta shell is generously filled with a creamy mixture of ricotta and parmesan cheeses, fresh spinach, and a touch of spicy red pepper flakes, all brightened by a splash of lemon zest. The shells are nestled in a rich marinara sauce, and are then topped with a gooey layer of melted mozzarella that golden-browns to perfection in the oven. The result is a mouthwatering party of tastes that will leave you craving more with every bite. We sat by the fire and enjoyed this last night…it was so delicious! I hope you enjoy!
Creamy Comforting Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 18 to 20 jumbo pasta shells
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 2 cups full fat ricotta cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or Honey Aleppo Pepper
- Kosher sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups Rao's Marinara Sauce
- 1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
- Chopped fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Place the spinach in a steamer basket and set over a pot with 1-inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and let steam for 1 minute, until the spinach is wilted. Transfer to a strainer, let cool, squeeze out the excess water and roughly chop the spinach.
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta shells for 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain and drizzle with a little olive oil to keep them from sticking together.
- In a medium bowl, combine the spinach with the ricotta, Parmesan, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, salt, and several generous grinds of pepper.
- Spread the marinara in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Stuff each shell with the filling and place in the dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is brown and everything is bubbly. Serve with more marinara on the side.
Happy Monday! I’m spending the day choosing rugs for our bedroom and continuing to get organized for getting everything back into my closet…hopefully the middle of next week! Hopefully, I’ll also get into the kitchen to make the most delicious chicken salad recipe that I’ll share tomorrow or Wednesday! Have the best day and thanks so much for reading today!
~XOXO Suzanne