Spinach Stuffed Shells Food

BAKED SPINACH AND BEEF STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook shells in salted boiling water until just barely tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and cool under cold running water. Drain again.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F.
• Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, stirring and breaking up chunks, until browned, about 7 minutes. Drain off any excess fat.
• In a large bowl, combine beef, ricotta cheese and spinach.
• Spread half the marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling into each shell and place them open side up into the dish; fit them together snuggly and you should be able to get them all in a single layer.
• Pour remaining marinara evenly over top, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes.

SAUSAGE-SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Make the stuffed shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook until just slightly softened but still firm, about 7 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drizzle with olive oil and toss; set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste and stir until heated through, about 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
• Combine the spinach mixture, ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, the parmesan, parsley and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the filling; set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the cheese sauce: Melt the butter with the garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the flour and whisk constantly until lightly golden, about 1 minute. Add the milk and cream, bring to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and nutmeg to taste.
• Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil and pour in about two-thirds of the cheese sauce. Add the stuffed shells and top with the remaining cheese sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and top with the marinara sauce and the remaining 1 cup mozzarella; continue baking until the sauce is bubbly, 15 to 20 more minutes.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown, about a minute or two. Add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leaves begin to wilt but are still bright green, about 3 to 4 minutes. The spinach should be reduced by half. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• In a mixing bowl, stir together the spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil and salt and pepper until thoroughly combined. Pour 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce into the bottom of a shallow 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish. Stuff each pasta shell with a generous amount of the spinach and ricotta mixture, and place in the baking dish.
• Cover with the remaining sauce and bake covered with aluminum foil for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top begins to brown and the sauce begins the bubble, another 10-15 minutes. Serve warm with a dusting of Parmesan.

STUFFED SHELLS FILLED WITH SPINACH AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Fill a bowl with ice water. Blanch the spinach for no more than 20 seconds, just until wilted, and transfer to the ice water, then drain. Squeeze out excess water. Bring the water in the pot back to a boil and add the pasta shells. Cook al dente, about 10 minutes, and drain and toss with the olive oil. Set aside.
• Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop in the garlic. When the garlic is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the spinach and pulse to chop finely. Add the ricotta and the egg and process until well blended. Add 1/3 cup of the Parmesan, the chives, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse until well blended.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a large baking dish or two 2-quart dishes. The shells should fit into the dish in one layer. Fill each shell with a scant tablespoon of the filling. Arrange in a single layer in the baking dish. Top with the tomato sauce and cover the dish with foil.
• Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the heat, sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan, and serve.

DECADENT SPINACH-STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta shells according to package directions for al dente. Drain., Spread 1 cup sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, Alfredo sauce and seasonings until blended. Stir in cheeses and vegetables. Spoon into shells. Arrange in prepared baking dish., Pour remaining sauce over top. Bake, covered, 20 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch dish with cooking spray. Pour half of the marinara sauce into the bottom of the dish. Save the rest of the sauce for later.
• Prepare pasta according to package instructions; drain and rinse under cold water.
• Squeeze all of the liquid out of the spinach. I like to use a dish towel for this, and just keep squeezing until you wring out as much water as possible. Place spinach in a large bowl.
• Add ricotta, 1 ½ cups of the mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil, salt and garlic powder to the bowl with the spinach and stir really well with a fork to combine. Add a pinch of optional nutmeg, if desired. Stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture.
• Arrange stuffed shells in the prepared baking dish, open side up. Pour remaining half of the marinara sauce over top. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of mozzarella.
• Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, or until heated through. Remove the foil cover during the final 5-10 minutes to allow the cheese to get a little bit crispy on top.

SPINACH AND CHEESE STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, gently place pasta shells in boiling water; bring water back to boil. Cook until noodles are just tender; drain well.
• Squeeze spinach dry. Combine spinach, ricotta, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, fennel, basil and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper; mix well.
• Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Fill each pasta shell with the spinach cheese mixture. Arrange the shells, filling side up in the baking dish. Spoon remaining marinara sauce over the shells. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top of the shells.
• Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven until heated through; about 30 minutes.

SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• preheat oven 350.
• cook jumbo shells according to pkg direction: drain, reserve 1/2 c pasta water.
• cook ground beef.
• stir in oil, spinach, onion, garlic.
• add some of the pasta water until blended well.
• let mixture cool.
• stir in egg and parmesan cheese.
• Freeze stuffing if making it for a freezer recipe.
• Serving Directions: pour 1 c tomato basil sauce into 13x9 baking dish.
• fill jumbo shells with meat mixture; place in dish.
• pour remaining sauce over shells.
• cover with foil.
• bake 30 min or until thoroughly heated.

CHEESY SPINACH-STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Cook pasta shells according to package directions for al dente. Drain; rinse with cold water., Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion; cook and stir until vegetables are tender, 4-6 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Remove from heat; cool slightly., In a large bowl, mix eggs, ricotta cheese, spinach, basil and pepper. Stir in olives, mushroom mixture and 3/4 cup each cheese blend and mozzarella cheese., Spread 1 cup sauce into a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Fill pasta shells with cheese mixture; place in baking dish, overlapping ends slightly. Spoon remaining sauce over top., Bake, covered, until heated through, 40-45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes longer. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with additional basil.

CHEESY SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• For the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• While the sauce simmers, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta shells al dente according to package directions. Drain and immediately place them in an even layer on paper towels or parchment.
• For the filling, in a medium bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, parsley, oregano and basil. Add the spinach and mix until combined. Stir in the cheeses.
• Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spoon about half of the sauce on the bottom of the prepared pan and spread evenly. Fill each pasta shell with an even amount of the filling (about 1/4 cup per shell, more or less) and place the shells on top of the sauce in the pan - making three rows of eight shells.
• Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top of the shells. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Uncover and bake five or so more minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the shells sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

SPINACH-STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Cover with foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the shells are heated through. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese just before serving.

RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat oven at 375 degreese Farenheit. Cook pasta according to package instructions (al dente). Drain and set aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and saute garlic until soft and fragrant. Add in the spinach and cook until just wilted, let it cool.
• In a bowl, combine the sauteed garlic and spinach together with the cheeses - ricotta, parmesan, mozarella. Also add in the egg, basil, salt and pepper. Mix well. Stuff your shells with the mixture, dividing them equally into 16 jumbo shells.
• Pour half of the marinara sauce in a baking dish. Place the stuffed shells, lining them up in one layer. Pour the remaining marinara suace on top of the shells.
• Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more until bubbly and brown. Top with more parmesan cheese before serving.

SPINACH AND CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, using a fork, blend together Ricotta cheese and egg. Stir in basil, thyme and garlic.
• Add 2 cups mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and toss mixture to combine. Mix in prepared spinach. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
• Spread 1/3 cup marinara sauce into an even layer along bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish (or similar size casserole dish). Divide cheese mixture among cooked pasta shells, stuffing each shell full with about 2 Tbsp cheese mixture.
• Align shells in baking dish side by side, with the opening of shells facing upright.
• Stir red pepper flakes to taste into marinara sauce if desired. Cover shells evenly with remaining marinara sauce then sprinkle tops evenly with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
• Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Serve warm.

SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta shells
• Cook Italian sausage. Wipe out pan when finished and use same pan for spinach.
• Sautee garlic for a few seconds in a pan. Add fresh spinach. I add in large batches, allowing spinach to cook down before adding more. Keep all spinach in pan until it has all been cooked. Remove spinach to a colander and allow spinach to cool. Once cool, squeeze out all liquid. This takes a lot of squeezing. Keep rotating spinach in your hands and squeeze until all liquid is removed.
• Coarsely chop spinach
• Combine ricotta, parmesan, egg and seasonings together in a bowl.
• Add chopped spinach and fold until combined
• Add cooled sausage, be careful to not add any of the grease.
• Carefully stuff each pasta shell with 3 tablespoons of cheese filling. Place each stuffed shell in a greased baking dish with a layer of marinara sauce. Continue filling all shells until dish is full.
• Drop spoonfuls of sauce around the filled shells. Place diced mozzarella on top of shells. Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese over top
• Cover dish with foil and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking for an additional 20 minutes. Turn broiler on for an additional 5 minutes and cook until the cheese is slightly browned.
• Remove from oven and allow dish to rest for 10 minutes Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with additional marinara sauce

SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook pasta shells in boiling water for 6-7 minutes. Remove, drain and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in saute pan and cook garlic and 4 cups of packed spinach (remove large stems) for a few minutes until the spinach starts to wilt.
• Add the spinach and garlic mixture to a large bowl containing the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Mix until well combined.
• Stuff the shells with the cheese and spinach mixture.
• Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Add stuffed shells so you have four rows of five shells.
• Top shells with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella and remaining 1 cup of marinara sauce.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

STUFFED SHELLS WITH RICOTTA AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Cook shells until very al dente in salted (2 tablespoons kosher salt per gallon) water. Stir frequently to avoid sticking.
• Strain shells and place on clean kitchen towels. Allow shells to cool before stuffing.
• Preheat oven to 400f. While the shells are cooling blanch the baby spinach in boiling water for 30 seconds. Place the spinach in a fine mesh strainer and squeeze out as much water as possible. Give the spinach a chop and move onto the next step.
• Combine the ricotta, half the grated mozzarella, parsley, baby spinach, and Pecorino Romano cheese. Taste test the ricotta mixture and if desired add a bit of salt. When satisfied with the taste add the 2 beaten eggs and combine.
• Lay a half-inch thick layer of meat sauce onto the bottom of a large baking dish.
• To fill the shells use either a spoon or use a pastry or plastic bag filled with the ricotta mixture. Either pipe or spoon the filling into each shell. Place the filled shells into the baking dish seam side up.
• Top the shells with more of the meat sauce but do not cover completely. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top. Cover with a piece of parchment paper then aluminum foil. Bake the shells for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove the covering and bake for 15 minutes more until bubbly and crispy. Enjoy!

SUPER-STUFFED SHELLS WITH SPINACH AND ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat
• Add the onions, garlic, salt, basil, oregano and black pepper, and cook, stirring, until soft, 4 minutes
• Add the tomatoes and their juices, tomato sauce and paste, water and sugar, and stir well
• Bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until thickened and fragrant, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning to taste
• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish with 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil
• Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pasta shells, and cook until al dente, 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally with a long-handled spoon to prevent the shells from sticking together
• Drain and rinse under cold running water
• In a medium skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat
• Add the onions and garlic, and cook, stirring, until very soft, 6-7 minutes
• Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until browned
• Add the squeezed spinach and cook for 3 minutes
• Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper
• In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese
• Add the spinach-sausage mixture, the extra-virgin olive oil, Essence, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, the basil, oregano, and pepper, and stir to combine thoroughly
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the spinach-ricotta filling into each cooked pasta shell
• Place the filled shells in the prepared dish
• Pour tomato sauce over the filled shells and top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese
• Bake, uncovered, until bubbly, about 20-25 minutes
• Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving
• MORE: Melissa d'Arabian's Stuffed Shells Baked Shells Casserole Unstuffed Shells

SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook shells according to package directions and drain well.
• Cook spinach to package directions; when cooked, pour into a large bowl and cool slightly; stir in the Ricotta and Mozzarella cheese's, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.
• Stuff each shell with one tbsp.
• of the spinach mixture.
• Brown ground beef and add spaghetti sauce; pour this mixture over the stuffed shells.
• Bake covered at 350 for 30- 40 minutes.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA-STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Set an oven rack to the highest position and heat oven to 400° F. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and run under cold water to cool.
• Spread the marinara sauce in the bottom of a large broilerproof baking dish.
• In a bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spoon the mixture into the shells and place them on top of the sauce.
• Sprinkle the shells with the mozzarella and bake until heated through, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Increase heat to broil. Broil the shells until cheese begins to brown, 2 to 5 minutes. Serve with the salad, if desired.

SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray a shallow 8x8 inch baking dish with nonstick spray; set aside.
• Bring a pot of water on the stovetop to a boil. Cook the pasta shells to al dente. After cooking the pasta shells, drain and place them upside down on a baking sheet to dry.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute or two.
• Add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes until the leaves start to wilt. Remove from the heat and let the spinach cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together the spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined.
• Pour half of the marinara sauce into the bottom the baking dish.
• Working 1 shell at a time, generously fill each pasta shell with the spinach and ricotta mixture. Carefully place each shell in the baking dish, filling side up.
• Once all shells are filled and in the baking dish, cover with the remaining marinara sauce and a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove the aluminum foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the cheese starts to bubble and begins to brown.
• Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves.

STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• 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 and squeeze out the excess water and 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, pecorino, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
• Spread the marinara in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Stuff each shell with the filling and place in the dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with more marinara on the side.

CHICKEN STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch dish with cooking spray. Pour 1 cup of the Alfredo sauce into the bottom of the dish. Save the rest of the sauce for later.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
• In a large bowl, combine the chicken, spinach, ricotta, 1 ½ cups of the mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil, salt, garlic powder and nutmeg.
• Stuff each shell with the chicken mixture. Depending on how full you stuff each shell, you might not need all of the shells in the box. I can typically fill and fit about 20-22 shells in my pan. If you have extra shells and stuffing, you can assemble them in a small dish and save it for another meal (or bake it at the same time as the larger dish).
• Arrange stuffed shells in the prepared baking dish, open side up. Pour remaining 1 cup of Alfredo sauce over top. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of mozzarella.
• Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, or until heated through. Remove the foil cover during the final 5-10 minutes to allow the top to get a little bit crisp.

VEGAN STUFFED SHELLS WITH SPINACH AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°
• Combine spinach, ricotta and cream cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
• In a microwave-safe dish, heat garlic and olive oil for 20 seconds in microwave.
• Add garlic and oil to spinach/cheese mixture. Mix thoroughly.
• Pour 2/3's of the marinara sauce (2 cups) in the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish.
• Using a teaspoon, fill each shell with spinach/cheese mixture.
• Place filled shells (open side up) in pan.
• Cover pan with foil and bake at 375° for 25 minutes.
• Remove foil and sprinkle breadcrumbs and parmesan over shells. Continue baking (uncovered) for 10 minutes until bread crumbs are golden brown.
• Remove from oven and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.
• When ready to serve, heat up remaining marinara sauce and spoon over shells. Add extra parmesan if desired.

SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Cook shells as directed on package for al dente; set aside.
• Thaw spinach and chop basil.
• Combine ricotta and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese in a large bowl. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the spinach (To remove the most moisture, place spinach in a cheesecloth and squeeze.); add to cheeses along with basil, egg, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well.
• Add a small amount of sauce to the bottom of a large baking dish to prevent shells from sticking.
• Fill shells with cheese and spinach mixture and place in prepared dish. Top with sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5-10 minutes more until bubbly.
• Serve with sliced apples on the side.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS SOUP

Steps:

• In a food processor combine 1 clove garlic, 1 cup ricotta cheese, ½ cup mozzarella and ½ cup parmesan. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Set aside, this will be the garnish for the soup.
• In a large dutch oven or soup pot add 2 Tablespoons olive oil and heat over medium-high. Add diced onion, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Sautee for 2-3 minutes until onions are softened.
• Add tomato paste, Italian seasoning, dried basil and minced garlic and sautee for another 30 seconds, stirring until the tomato paste and garlic become fragrant.
• Add crushed tomatoes, petite diced tomatoes, chicken stock and water, stir to combine and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil.
• Add in pasta shells and reduce heat slightly. Cook, stirring occasionally until the shells are cooked and al dente, about 10 minutes. This time will vary based on the brand of noodle so read the box for cooking time.
• Reduce heat to low and stir in spinach. Cook just until spinach wilts about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Serve topped with a dollop of the ricotta cheese mixture, fresh basil and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

SPINACH-RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes; season with salt. (You should have about 4 heaping cups of sauce.)
• Make the stuffed shells: Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook as the label directs for baking, about 9 minutes. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Spread out on a baking sheet.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a large plate lined with a kitchen towel. Squeeze to remove any excess liquid, then finely chop.
• Put the spinach in a large bowl and add the ricotta, mozzarella, parsley, Parmesan, lemon zest, beaten egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir until combined.
• To assemble, spread about half of the sauce in the bottom of a 10-by-14-inch baking dish. Evenly fill the shells with the spinach-ricotta mixture using a spoon, or pipe it in using a pastry bag. Arrange the shells side by side, open-side up, in the baking dish on top of the sauce, then top with the remaining sauce.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake until heated through and the sauce is simmering around the edges, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until any shells or cheese poking through the sauce are lightly browned in spots, about 10 more minutes. Let sit 10 minutes. Top with more Parmesan and red pepper flakes.

SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the shells, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until al dente, about 3 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain well and run under cold water to prevent further cooking. Drain again.
• In a large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Stir in the ricotta, spinach, parmesan, parsley, and 1½ cups mozzarella. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the filling to a gallon-size freezer bag.
• Spread 1½ cups marinara sauce in a 9x13 baking dish. Snip off a corner of the bag with the filling and squeeze the filling into the shells, arranging 20-24 filled shells in the baking dish in a single layer. Top with the remaining marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.
• Cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and bubbling on the edges, 40 minutes. Uncover and continue baking about 10 minutes more, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has fully melted.
• Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese before serving, if desired.