Every jumbo pasta shell is generously filled with a creamy mixture of ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, sautéed spinach, and nestled right into a skillet of wealthy marinara sauce. After a fast journey to the oven, the stuffed shells come out effervescent with melty cheese and aromatic marinara. Serve with selfmade garlic dinner rolls.
Stuffed Shells that stand out from the gang!
Pasta is one in all my favourite issues to prepare dinner, and I at all times attempt to make my pasta dishes considerably distinctive. For this recipe, I’m utilizing jumbo shells (conchiglioni) filled with a traditional spinach and ricotta filling, however with a number of twists:
- I exploit toasted pine nuts each within the filling and on prime of the shells so as to add a wealthy, nutty crunch.
- I sauté the garlic and spinach earlier than including them to the ricotta combination, to boost taste and cut back moisture, conserving the filling agency. Contemporary lemon zest and juice brighten the general taste.
- No-boil shortcut: I prepare dinner the shells simply shy of al dente to stop over-softening. This methodology ensures that the shells retain their construction and soak up the marinara sauce with out falling aside.
- I exploit high-quality substances like freshly grated mozzarella, parmesan, and premium marinara sauce (comparable to Rao’s or Mezzetta) to raise the dish to restaurant-quality.
The Components
- Contemporary substances: You may want garlic, recent spinach, an egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and recent basil for garnish.
- Pantry: You may want jumbo pasta shells (Conchiglioni), olive oil, salt, pepper, and pine nuts.
- Dairy: I exploit ricotta cheese, low-moisture mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese.
- Tomato sauce: Use a high-quality store-bought marinara – I like to recommend Rao’s or Mezzetta manufacturers.
- Tip: the beneath picture depicts each single ingredient you want. Take a screenshot to your purchasing record!
How To Make Stuffed Shells (step-by-step photographs)
Observe: It is a step-by-step overview. Discover the total recipe with measurements within the recipe card beneath.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and prepare dinner the jumbo shells simply shy of al dente—they’ll end up within the oven. In a skillet, sauté garlic and spinach with a bit of salt and pepper till wilted (smashing it with a spatula speeds issues up).
In a medium bowl, combine the spinach with ricotta, mozzarella, parm, an egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and toasted pine nuts—as a result of we’re fancy like that. Pour marinara into the identical skillet.
Stuff these shells generously, and nestle them into the sauce. Cowl, bake till bubbly, then uncover for the ultimate golden contact. End with extra parm, basil, and the remainder of the pine nuts. Serve instantly!
Suggestions for Success
- You might be welcome to prime the stuffed shells with extra grated mozzarella when you like, however it will probably overwhelm the fragile texture and taste of the spinach and ricotta if utilized in giant portions.
- Make sure that to prepare dinner the shells al dente! In case you totally prepare dinner them earlier than baking, you’ll overcook them within the remaining bake, making them mealy and dry.
- If the ricotta is just too moist, you possibly can drain the surplus moisture utilizing cheese material or a strainer.
- Strive to not overfill the shells. If there’s quite a bit bulging out, scoop a bit of out.
- In case you can solely discover untoasted and unsalted pine nuts, toast them in a pan on medium warmth with no oil. Make sure that to stir each 30 seconds in order that they don’t burn. As soon as they’ve develop into a contact brown, sprinkle them with salt and take away them instantly to a flat tray or plate to chill earlier than utilizing them within the recipe.
Serve with
- Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls
- Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad with Mozzarella and Basil Pesto
- Tomato Cucumber Lettuce Salad
- Straightforward Do-it-yourself White Bread (made in a bread machine)
- Pan-Seared Hen Thighs
- Blackened Shrimp
- Pan-Seared Hen Breasts
Stuffed Shells
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Components
- 20 jumbo pasta shells (conchiglioni) cooked to al dente
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 oz recent spinach
- 1 egg
- 15 oz ricotta cheese complete or skim milk container
- ⅔ cup low-moisture mozzarella cheese freshly grated
- ⅔ cup parmesan cheese plus extra for garnish
- ⅔ cup toasted salted pine nuts divided
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of ½ lemon
- salt and pepper to style
- 2 cups marinara sauce we advocate Rao’s or Mezzetta model
- recent basil finely chopped, for garnish
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 375 levels. Comply with the cooking instructions in your jumbo pasta shells package deal, however be sure that to prepare dinner them simply slightly below to al dente.
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In a medium forged iron skillet, warmth the olive oil over medium warmth and saute the garlic and spinach with a pinch of salt and pepper collectively till the spinach is wilted. You may smash the spinach with a spatula to assist extra moisture evaporate throughout cooking. If the spinach leaves are giant, be sure that to cut it roughly.
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Mix the spinach and garlic in a big bowl with the egg, ricotta, mozzarella, parm, ½ cup pine nuts, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to style.
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Pour the marinara into the identical forged iron skillet, stuff the shells with the spinach ricotta combination, about 2 heaping tablespoons per shell, and place them into the sauce.
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Cowl with foil and bake for 25-Half-hour, till the marinara is effervescent and the pasta has cooked by means of. Take away the foil, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
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Take away from the oven, garnish with parmesan cheese, remaining pine nuts, and freshly chopped basil.
Diet
Substitutions
- Cottage cheese: This cheese will be lighter in fats content material than ricotta. Nonetheless, it’s usually wetter. Make sure that to empty it for at the very least 10 minutes in both a strainer or cheese material previous to utilizing.
- Mascarpone: For a creamier richer various, exchange the ricotta with mascarpone.
- Kale, Swiss Chard, Arugula, Frozen Spinach: You may exchange the recent spinach with any of those different choices. For the frozen spinach, be sure that to defrost it and take away all the moisture previous to mixing.
- Manicotti Tubes: You may fill par-cooked manicotti tubes with the spinach ricotta combination you probably have a tough time discovering jumbo pasta shells.
- Vodka sauce, meat sauce: You might be welcome to make use of some other sort of tomato sauce for this recipe!
- Garlic parm bread crumb topping: If you wish to sub the pine nuts for an additional crunchy topping, a scrumptious various is to mix about 1 cup of bread crumbs, 1 minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of butter, a bit of salt and pepper right into a small pan and toast barely. Sprinkle this in your stuffed shells previous to baking.
- Frozen spinach: You may exchange recent spinach with the identical quantity of frozen spinach. Simply be sure that it’s fully thawed and all water has been squeezed out.
Variations
- Spicy: If you wish to add some spice, be at liberty so as to add ½ teaspoon of crushed purple pepper into the spinach ricotta combination!
- Meat: You may add some floor turkey, rooster, beef, or pork to this recipe so as to add much more protein!
- Vegan: When you’ve got entry to vegan cheeses, be at liberty to interchange all the cheese along with your favourite vegan sorts.
- Pesto: You may add pesto to both or each your ricotta stuffing and marinara previous to baking!
Storage & Reheating Directions
- To refrigerate: The cooled pasta will be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
- To freeze, place the pasta in an hermetic container. You may freeze the pasta for as much as 2 months. Thaw within the fridge in a single day earlier than reheating.
- To reheat, place the pasta on a microwave protected plate, cowl with a paper towel to stop splatter, and warmth between 30 seconds to 1 minute or till it reaches your required temperature.
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