Stuffed Pasta Shells
This recipe is great for your pasta lover, especially your pasta with cheese lover. It’s a spin on similar ingredients to lasagna but a lot less labor intensive. The whole dish can be in the oven in under an hour. Then it just needs to cook for about 35 minutes, leaving time to set the table and make a salad to complete.
Stuffed shells freeze really well too, making it a great dish to share. We recently visited one of our daughters and her husband in California who had just had their 2nd beautiful baby boy. This dish was her request and we were able to leave a whole extra tray of shells in the freezer for later!
Having a helper makes the dish pull together even more quickly! This is part of the family cooking adventure, this time with one of our granddaughters.
Fresh spinach is a great add to the ricotta stuffing mixture. Frozen spinach can be used as well.
Since we were not home, we did not have our favorite grocer near. We love mild Italian sausage in most Italian dishes rather than hamburger, for great flavor. For a quicker sauce, simply add a can of diced tomatoes to your favorite marinara.
The sauce pulls together quickly making the house smell so good!
Pre-cook the shells.
You will lose a few but the filling makes enough for about 24 shells. The shells should just be cooked to al dente.
I love cooking anything with fresh spinach. Chop very finely. This recipe does use 10 ozs. of spinach, making the ricotta more green than white. You can substitute some of the spinach for a bit of fresh basil. We used dried this time. You also can add more ricotta if you want it cheesier.
Once the ricotta and cheese are mixed add the fresh parmesan, egg and bread crumbs.
Now the fun begins, stuffing the shells. Don’t over stuff or they will break! For speed, we both got involved in the stuffing.
Once stuffed, place a bit of the cooked sauce in the bottom of a glass 9x13 pan
Sprinkle a bit more cheese
This tray held 12 shells, but it could have held up to six more. It’s an easy dish to break out for different serving situations.
We had a very special helper on this day! She loved it and was a terrific help in the whole process.
Serve with a simple salad.
Depending on how hungry your crowd is most will eat between 2-4 shells. They are very filling but definitely a crowd pleaser!
Stuffed Pasta Shells
Ingredients
- 1 package premade pasta shells
- 10 oz fresh spinach (or frozen spinach)
- 16 oz ricotta
- Fresh Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan (plus more for sprinkling on top)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- One small onion, finely chopped
- 1 lb Italian mild sausage or ground beef
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 jar marinara (24 oz)
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 2 cloves chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon Oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Pepper
- 1/4 cup vermouth (or white wine; optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- Cook the pasta shells according to directions to al dente (about 9 minutes).
- Make the meat sauce. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. When warm, add the onion. Cook until translucent and soft.
- Add the Italian sausage, breaking up into smaller pieces with a fork while browning.
- Add the garlic, oregano, and pepper. Mix all together.
- Add the vermouth (or white wine). Simmer on low for 15 minutes (or more) while making the cheese stuffing.
- Make the cheese stuffing by placing the ricotta into a medium size bowl. Add the chopped spinach and mix well.
- Add the basil and fresh parmesan, while continuing to mix.
- Add the egg, then the breadcrumbs, incorporating all.
- Pull the dish together, by first placing 1/4 cup of the sauce at the bottom of a 9x13 pan. For 24 shells, you will need 2 pans.
- Take each of the pasta shells and add up to 2 tablespoons of filling, being careful not to tear while stuffing. Place into 9x13 pan as completed.
- Once all the shells are stuffed and in the pan(s) spoon the remaining sauce over. Grate fresh parmesan over the top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Enjoy!
Stuffed Pasta Shells
Ingredients
- 1 package premade pasta shells
- 10 oz fresh spinach (or frozen spinach)
- 16 oz ricotta
- Fresh Parmesan
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan (plus more for sprinkling on top)
- One small onion, finely chopped
- 1 lb Italian mild sausage or ground beef
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 jar marinara (24 oz)
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 2 cloves chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon Oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Pepper
- 1/4 cup vermouth (or white wine; optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- Cook the pasta shells according to directions to al dente (about 9 minutes).
- Make the meat sauce. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. When warm, add the onion. Cook until translucent and soft.
- Add the Italian sausage, breaking up into smaller pieces with a fork while browning.
- Add the garlic, oregano, and pepper. Mix all together.
- Add the vermouth (or white wine). Simmer on low for 15 minutes (or more) while making the cheese stuffing.
- Make the cheese stuffing by placing the ricotta into a medium size bowl. Add the chopped spinach and mix well.
- Add the basil and fresh parmesan, while continuing to mix.
- Add the egg, then the breadcrumbs, incorporating all.
- Pull the dish together, by first placing 1/4 cup of the sauce at the bottom of a 9x13 pan. For 24 shells, you will need 2 pans.
- Take each of the pasta shells and add up to 2 tablespoons of filling, being careful not to tear while stuffing. Place into 9x13 pan as completed.
- Once all the shells are stuffed and in the pan(s) spoon the remaining sauce over. Grate fresh parmesan over the top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Enjoy!
A lightened up version of traditional risotto made with fresh lemon and peas.