Usually there’s not a lot of drama where stuffed shells are concerned…
But that is about to change.
We’re talking Stuffed Shells with Spinach-Ricotta in a Roasted Sweet Red Pepper Sauce. Oh yeah!
So what do you think?
I hope what you’re thinking is, “Go on…”.
I may have used more than a few pots and pans to create this dinner…but it was worth it…we were desperate…and desperate times call for desperate measures…
We had a craving.
Do you get like that? We get like that. Where we can’t go even one more minute without a dish of pasta.
The magic of this dish really lies in the sauce. It combines your basic [sauce] ingredients…olive oil, garlic, onions and tomatoes, with the clever addition of chicken stock, fresh Italian parsley and roasted red bell peppers.
The sauce alone may provoke applause when you bring it to the table.
Don’t get me wrong, the ricotta filling is very special in its own right. Between the freshly cooked spinach, the ricotta, yolks, Parmesan and nutmeg…we are on our way to making stuffed shell history.
Okay…maybe not history… but I bet you’ll be thinking about this dish for many days to come…
I’m toying with the idea of having it for Christmas dinner. We tend to do beef, either prime rib or tenderloin, but I always feel like I should have at least one pasta dish, too, along with our other sides. Do you feel that way?
So in making this dish, there are a couple things I think are important to be aware of. The first is that the order of operations is very important. And the second, do not overcook the pasta. You want the shells, upon boiling, to be very al dente; we’re talking major bite factor to allow for the pasta to hold its shape and keep the filling neatly tucked inside.
I found it best to make the filling first, and refrigerate. Prepare the sauce second, and simmer. Boil the pasta last, and fill.
Once the shells are filled, line them snugly in a greased 9×13″ casserole dish and top with sauce before placing in the oven for 30 – 40 minutes until the shells are heated through and the sauce all hot and bubbly.
I am telling you, between the aroma of the onion & garlic, the creaminess of the ricotta filling, and the sweetness of the red pepper sauce…
It will likely come as no surprise just how quickly they disappear.
Buon Appetito!
Print
Stuffed Shells with Spinach-Ricotta & Roasted Sweet Red Pepper Sauce
- Category: Dinner
Ingredients
- 1 lb. spinach, cooked, squeezed dry, chopped
- 1 lb. ricotta
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/8 tsp. grated fresh nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. salt & freshly ground pepper
- 2–3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 16 oz. jar roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 24 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained well
- Grated Parmesan for topping
Instructions
- To make the filling, mix the spinach and ricotta together, add the yolks, cheese, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to fill shells.
- To make the sauce, in a sauté pan heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 2 – 3 minutes until softened.
- Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, red peppers and parsley.
- Simmer until sauce has reduced and thickened, about 30 – 40 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, or stand up blender, purée the sauce.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cook shells to al dente.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly oil a 3 quart casserole dish.
- Spoon filling into cooked pasta and arrange filled shells snugly in the dish.
- Pour pepper sauce over top and place casserole in the oven.
- Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until sauce bubbles.
- Top with extra Parmesan.
- Serve immediately.
{Sauce adapted from Pamela Sheldon Johns.}
Ciao!
I get the exact same pasta cravings! 🙂 I love the addition of red pepper to your tomato sauce – what a great change of pace! I’ve been really into all things roasted bell peppers lately – they’re going into everything!
It must be the curls!! That sauce was so good…just one regret – that I didn’t double it! I will next time! Thanks, Kari!
YES I get like that too!! Sometimes we’ll get a midnight craving and I’ll make something crazy like gozleme in the middle of the night! These look amazing Annie! I have never made stuffed shells before which is so wrong! I must check out my grocery store to see if I can find these shells. I really want to try them!!
Okay…now I’m craving gozleme! Hope you have the chance to try these! Thanks, Nagi!
There is always drama with stuffed shells! I think it’s that overwhelming desire around shell #26 to just create a damn casserole and be done with it! Yours looks delicious! Love the red peppers in the sauce!
Hahahah! You are right!! Well, now I’ve gone and added a little more! Thanks, Lindsay! 🙂