Stuffed Pasta Shells

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 30

Servings

Calories 964kcal

Ingredients

Salad

2 cups Romaine lettuce chopped
1/4 cup Cucumber sliced
1/4 cup Red onion sliced thin or shaved
2 TBSP Carrots peeled and shaved

Dressing

3 tsp Extra-virgin olive oil
1 cloves Garlic grated
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Red wine vinegar

Seasoning

Salt
Black pepper

Pasta Shells

8 Jumbo shells
2 TBSP Extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves Garlic minced
5 oz Baby spinach
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp Black pepper
1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated plus more for serving
6 oz Ricotta cheese
1 Egg
¼ cup Fresh basil chopped & more for garnish
1 tsp Red pepper flakes
24 oz Whole tomatoes (canned) crushed with your hands in a bowl
2 slices Crusty bread toasted

Orange Spritzer

16 oz Sparkling water cold
8 oz Orange juice
2 TBSP Honey

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep the ingredients per the instructions above.
Arrange the salad ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl until fully combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook jumbo shells according to package instructions to al dente (don’t overcook or they will break when filling). Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. You can drizzle them with a little olive oil so they don't stick together.
In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Saute the garlic until fragrant, about a minute. Add in spinach, half of the black pepper, and kosher salt, and sauté until spinach begins to wilt. About 2-3 min.
In a large bowl add sautéd spinach mixture, mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta, egg, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and mix together.
In a baking dish, spread all the crushed tomatoes on the bottom in an even layer. Then stuff the shells. You can use a spoon to stuff the shells or make a piping bag for easier, less messy stuffing.
For the piping bag: Pour the filling into a gallon ziplock bag, push it all to one of the bottom corners, and seal the bag. Cut a small piece off the corner of the bag and squeeze to fill each shell with filling.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake the stuffed shells for 20 minutes. Remove foil and broil on high until cheese begins to bubble and brown. Keep a close eye so the cheese does not burn.
Carefully remove from oven and garnish with fresh basil and red pepper flakes.
Toast the bread. Dress the salad.
Mix all the ingredients together for the spritzer. Serve over ice if desired.
Serve the shells with salad, bread, and spritzer.

Nutrition