Baby, it’s cold outside… and what could be better to warm you up than pasta – especially in the frosty winter out here in Montana.
These hearty stuffed shells are the perfect dinner for when you want something warm, creamy and filling, but not too heavy. This version is vegetarian, but to make it more hearty, feel free to add beef, sausage or whatever you like to the sauce. I take store bought marinara and jazz it up with foamy butter, red pepper flakes, oregano and garlic. Stuff jumbo shells with sautéed mushrooms and spinach and ricotta. So yummy.
I made this recipe super simple so you can have dinner on the table in less than a hour.
Give it a try and let me know in the comments if you tried a vegetarian version or if you added protein.
Enjoy and Stay Warm!
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Mushroom Spinach Stuffed SHells- serves 4-6
26 jumbo pasta shells
2 TBSP olive oil
3 cups chopped mushrooms
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup white wine
10 oz frozen spinach
4 cloves garlic, chopped & divided
2 TBSP butter
2 tsp chopped oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
15 oz whole milk ricotta
5 oz romano cheese, divided
1 egg
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1- 24 oz jar marinara sauce
Method- total time- 1 hour
- Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.
Fill a large stock pot with salted water and boil pasta for 9 minutes. Do not over cook or they will break while stuffing. Cook a few extra because they tear easily. - While shells are boiling, chop your mushrooms and garlic. Place frozen spinach in the microwave for two minutes to help defrost.
- Drain pasta and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
- In a large pan, add olive oil. Sauté mushrooms about 3-4 minutes until browned around the edges. Add in two of the chopped cloves of garlic. Sauté until fragrant. Stir in the 1/2 cup of wine. Add in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add in spinach and cook until the moisture has completely evaporated.
Set mixture aside in a small bowl. - In the same pan over medium high heat, melt the butter. Stir in the red pepper flakes, oregano and remaining garlic. Stir until spices bloom and butter becomes foamy. Pour in the marinara sauce and heat through about 3 minutes on simmer.
Pour sauce into a 9 x 13 inch oven proof dish. - To the mushroom mixture, stir in the ricotta, 4 oz of cheese and egg. Fill the shells with spoonfuls of the spinach mixture and place in the marinara sauce open side up. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and panko.
Bake at 400 degrees until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is golden brown and melted: about 20 minutes.
