Spinach Stuffed Shells

By Kelly Bogard

Happy spring, y’all! The Lone Star State sure can be pretty this time of year as everything starts to green back up.

And it’s a good time to get something green on our plates, too! Like spinach—the vegetable made famous by Popeye the Sailor Man.

Did you know Texas farmers grow spinach? Get a look at what happens on a spinach farm in this video. And since National Spinach Day is Sunday, I thought I’d share this Spinach Stuffed Shells recipe.

For Spinach Stuffed Shells, you will need…
1 (12 oz.) box jumbo pasta shells
6 cloves garlic, smashed
2 (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
2 (8 oz.) package fresh spinach, chopped
3 c. part skim ricotta cheese
2 c. mozzarella cheese, grated
1 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tbsp. grapeseed oil
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

This recipe takes about 20 minutes of prep. But once you have it in the oven, you can walk away for at least 30 minutes to enjoy the spring sunshine.

Start by preheating your oven to 375. While the oven is heating, prepare the pasta shells per package instructions. A few will break, so I always make a few more than I need. In a second pot, mix together the tomatoes, crushed garlic and Italian seasoning. Simmer over medium low heat. This is the same base I use making these Meatballs.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Then, add the spinach and minced garlic to cook down. You will need to add spinach a little bit at a time as it wilts to get it all in the pan.

Once all of the spinach is cooked, mix it together with the cheeses, salt and pepper.

Pour half of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Next, fill the shells with the spinach mixture and place them on top of the sauce.

Once the pan is full, spoon the remaining sauce over the shells and bake covered for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes to brown the cheese.

This recipe adds some color to your table and highlights a Texas-grown crop. From all of us at Texas Table Top, enjoy!

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Spinach Stuffed Shells

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Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Servings

people MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 1 12 oz. box jumbo pasta shells
• 6 cloves garlic smashed
• 2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 8 oz. package fresh spinach chopped
• 3 c. part skim ricotta cheese
• 2 c. mozzarella cheese grated
• 1 c. Parmesan cheese grated
• 1 tbsp. grapeseed oil
• 1 tbsp. garlic minced
• 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper

Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 45 minutes Servings people MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 1 12 oz. box jumbo pasta shells 6 cloves garlic smashed 2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes 2 8 oz. package fresh spinach chopped 3 c. part skim ricotta cheese 2 c. mozzarella cheese grated 1 c. Parmesan cheese grated 1 tbsp. grapeseed oil 1 tbsp. garlic minced 2 tsp. Italian seasoning 1-1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper

Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Cook pasta per package instructions. Discard broken shells.
3. Combine tomatoes, crushed garlic and Italian seasoning in a medium pot over medium-low heat to simmer and combine.
4. Heat oil in skillet. When hot, add spinach and minced garlic. Cook until spinach is wilted.
5. Mix together spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, salt and pepper.
6. Pour half of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
7. Stuff spinach mixture into shells.
8. Place shells on top of sauce in the dish.
9. Repeat until pan is full.
10. Cover with remaining sauce.
11. Bake covered for 35 minutes.
12. Bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes to brown the cheese.

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