Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Shells
Nothing says comfort food like a giant casserole dish of stuffed shells. Some days I just want to go all out with a hot, cheesy, rich meal and this is a one-way ticket to cheese heaven. This meal isn't super spicy and it is extremely kid friendly. I found ways to incorporate more vegetables in the filling to make the meal heartier. I paired this with garlic toast and sautéed asparagus for a full meal! I definitely recommend making a big plate of this and either freezing the rest or using it for lunch the next day. It will definitely feed a crowd!
Ingredients
- 45 oz. jar of marinara sauce
- 12 oz. jumbo pasta shells
- 1.5 green pepper diced
- 1.5 yellow onion diced
- 32 oz. ricotta cheese or 15 oz. of ricotta and 2- 8 oz. softened blocks of cream cheese for more tang
- 20 oz. spinach roughly chopped
- 1 cup grated parmesan divided
- 2 cups mozzarella divided
- 3 tbsp garlic paste
- 2 tbsp. red chili flake adjust to taste
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°. and prepare shells according to package instructions. Undercook the pasta shells just by a minute or two as they will finish cooking in the oven.Turn heat to medium. Coat oil at the bottom of the pan, once hot add garlic paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. You don't want the garlic to burn. Add red chili flake and continue to cook for 2 minutes until the oil is a deep orange color.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high and add onions. Cook until translucent. Add bell peppers and continue to cook for a 1-2 minutes.
- Start adding in spinach by the handful. After each handful close the lid to let the spinach wilt down a bit. This will make it more manageable. Wilt down all 20 ounces and let the excess water evaporate off. Put to the side to cool.
- Meanwhile add 1/2 c. of grated parmesan and 1 cup of shredded mozzerella to 32 oz. ricotta. Mix in spinach mixture. Spoon mixture into cooked shells.
- Spread half of a jar of marinara at the bottom of the pan. Add shells, and top with other half of marinara jar. Top with additional 1 cup of mozzerella and 1/2 cup of parmesan. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.