Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta -

Pasta shells with tomato sauce, spinach and ricotta

Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta

Giant pasta shells stuffed with a cheesy, spinach and ricotta filling. Topped with mozzarella and baked in a tasty tomato sauce, these stuffed shells are perfect for a great weeknight dinner.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 17

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 2

Servings

Calories 392kcal

Author Michelle Alston

Ingredients

For the tomato sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium brown onion (150g) finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato puree (paste)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 14.5 oz can of diced/chopped tomatoes (400g)

For the stuffed shells:

21 large pasta shells
½ tablespoon olive oil
6 ½ packed cups of spinach (200g)
1 cup of ricotta (1 x 250g tub)
⅔ cup of grated mozzarella (1 x140g ball) grated
1 clove of garlic minced
A small handful of basil leaves finely chopped + more for garnish
¼ cup of vegetarian parmesan style cheese (50g) finely grated + more for serving
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Instructions

Tomato Sauce:

Heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan, add the onion along with a pinch of sea salt and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. The onion should be translucent and a little bit springy.
Next, add the garlic and dried oregano and cook for a minute, until the garlic releases its aroma.
Now pour in two can of tomatoes. Add about ¼ cup of water to each can, give them a little swirl then pour that into the pan too.
Finally, stir in the balsamic vinegar, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper then reduce the heat to the lowest setting.
Leave the sauce to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced slightly. 15 minutes should do it.

Spinach and Ricotta Filling:

Heat half a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add half the spinach, stir it until it wilts then add the remaining spinach. Keep stirring until all the spinach has wilted.
Once all the spinach is wilted remove it from the pan, and leave to cool slightly. Once cooled squeeze as much liquid out of the spinach as you can. Then roughly chop the spinach and add it to a large mixing bowl.
Cook the pasta shells in a large pan of well-salted water until it is al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander then rinse the pasta under the cold tap.
Add the ricotta, grated pecorino, garlic, chopped basil and salt and freshly grated black pepper to a bowl and mix well.

Assembly and Baking:

Preheat the oven to 356F/180C
Fill the pasta shells with the spinach and ricotta mixture. Each shell will take about two teaspoons full. Be careful not to overfill the shells.
Place the stuffed shells onto the sauce. Sprinkle the grated mozzarella and a little grated pecorino over the shells.
Bake uncovered in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly before serving.
Top with a sprinkling of grated pecorino and scatter a couple of extra basil leaves on top.

Notes

Pasta Shells - Use giant shells, cook them for 5 minutes less than the packet cooking times. Drain and rinse them under a running cold tap. This will cool them so they are easier to handle.
Spinach - I use fresh spinach but you can use frozen if you wish. You will need to immerse it in hot water for a minute then drain and squeeze any excess water. You will need about 50g or ⅔ of a cup more than the recipe indicates.
Ricotta - Look for good quality ricotta, some cheaper brands can be very grainy to bear that in mind.
Storing - This will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Cover it tightly then reheat in the microwave.
Freezing - Freeze this dish uncooked. Do not bake then cover, cool, label and freeze. Freeze for up to 3 months. This can be cooked from frozen. Pop it in a preheated oven 200C/392F covered for 30 minutes. Remove the foil then cook for another 5 - 1o minutes.
Pan - My pan is very large, it measures 28cm/11 inches in diameter and is 7cm/3 inches deep. You can use a large casserole dish if you prefer.
Nutrition - Based on one serving, nutritional information is approximate and is calculated using an online nutrition tool.

Nutrition