Recipe: Stuffed Shells

Any easy, filling recipe that tastes like it took hours (but it didn’t!) 

I’ve become a recent fan of a podcast called “Food Friends,” which features former personal chefs Kari Lauritzen and Sonya Sanford who want to empower home cooks to try new dishes. In a recent episode, the hosts were talking about meals they had made to share with friends and family and the topic of stuffed shells came up. 

That was all it took for me. I remembered the half-used box of shells in my pantry and started making a plan to work on my own stuffed shells recipe. My recipe is heavily influenced by a Food Network recipe and one from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. You can definitely choose to make your own marinara sauce if you’d like, but I like to keep it easy and use a jarred sauce, usually Rao’s as it’s my favorite! 

Stuffed Shells with Zucchini and Spinach Ingredients

• 9 ounces jumbo shells, prepared according to package instructions

• 1 jar prepared marinara sauce

• 8 ounces fresh spinach

• 1 medium zucchini, chopped or shredded

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese

• 2 cups mozzarella cheese

• ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese

• 1 large egg, beaten

• Salt and pepper and other seasonings (Italian, basil) to taste

Stuffed Shells with Zucchini and Spinach Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2. Prepare shells as directed on the package, removing while they are al dente and rinsing with cold water to stop cooking, usually about 9-10 minutes. 

3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach, onion, and zucchini and cook until veggies are tender. Drain off excess liquid and chop more if needed. 

4. Add in garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat. 

5. In a medium bowl, combine spinach mixture with Ricotta, mozzarella, ¼ cup Parmesan, egg, salt, pepper and other seasonings as desired. 

6. Spoon two heaping tablespoons of the Ricotta mixture into each shell and place into casserole dish. 

7. Top shells with sauce, then sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. 

8. Cover dish with foil. Bake until heated through and sauce is simmering at the edges of the casserole dish, about 30 minutes. 

9. Uncover dish and allow to bake for about 10 minutes more so the cheese on top can brown slightly. 

10. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. 

11. Enjoy! 

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