Spinach Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce
Cook up this delicious stuffed shells recipe, and you’ll be sure to make the dinner table want more!
Prep time: 25 mins
Cook time: 1hr 15 mins
Total time: 1hr 40 mins
Servings: 9
– 27 Jumbo Pasta Shells, such as barilla, or gf pasta, 9 ounces total
– 1 cup onion, finely chopped
– 2 garlic cloves, chopped
– 1 tsp olive oil
– 1 lb 99% lean ground turkey, or 93% lean
– 32 oz crushed tomatoes, I used Tuttorosso
– 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
– salt and pepper, to taste
– 2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese, or cottage cheese for more protein
– 8 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
– 1 large egg
– 16 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed well
– 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, or parmesan cheese
Directions
Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, saute onions and garlic in oil.
Add the ground turkey and salt and brown until cooked, breaking up in small pieces with a wooden spoon.
Stir in the tomatoes, salt, pepper and basil, then simmer on low, covered, about 15 minutes, until the flavors meld.
In a large bowl, mix together ricotta, egg, spinach, mozzarella, and parmesan.
Once shells are cooked and cool, fill each shell with (about 2 heaping tbsp) cheese mixture and place on a large baking dish, or two smaller dishes, covering the bottom of the dish with a little sauce.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Top shells with half of the sauce, cover with foil and bake 40 minutes; uncover foil and bake 5 more minutes.
Serve with additional sauce on top and garnish with fresh basil, if desired.
