Description
Discover how to make delicious Spinach Stuffed Shells with our easy-to-follow recipe. Perfect for a comforting meal any day of the week!
Ingredients
- – 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
- – 2 eschallots/shallots or 1 small onion, finely chopped
- – 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- – 1 bay leaf, fresh (sub dried)
- – 1/2 tsp (3 ml) each dried thyme and oregano
- – 80ml (1/3 cup) tomato paste
- – 700g / 25 oz tomato passata (US: tomato sauce)
- – 80ml (1/3 cup) beef broth (sub more vegetable stock)
- – 960ml (4 cups) vegetable stock, low sodium
- – 3/4 tsp (4 ml) salt
- – 1 1/2 tsp (8 ml) white sugar
- – 1/3 tsp (2 ml) black pepper
- – 250g / 8 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- – 500g / 1 lb ground beef
- – 120g (1/2 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
- – 240g (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese
- – 1 egg
- – 1 large garlic clove, minced
- – Grated fresh nutmeg (just a sprinkling) or 1/8 tsp (1 ml) nutmeg powder (optional)
- – 3/4 tsp (4 ml) cooking / kosher salt
- – 1/2 tsp (3 ml) black pepper
- – 250g / 8 oz jumbo pasta shells (conchiglioni)
- – 360g (1 1/2 cups) shredded mozzarella
- – 60g (1/2 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
- – Fresh basil and Parmesan, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Warm the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Introduce the minced garlic, chopped shallots, bay leaf, thyme, and oregano. Stir and cook until the shallots become clear, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for an additional minute.
- Pour in the beef broth and turn up the heat to high. Let it bubble until most of the liquid evaporates, roughly 2 minutes.
- Combine the tomato passata, vegetable stock, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir the mixture and allow it to gently simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Keep it warm for later use.
- Take the thawed spinach and firmly press out any extra moisture.
- In a bowl, combine the spinach with the rest of the filling ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
- Set your oven to preheat at 200°C/400°F (or 180°C for fan ovens).
- Fill the uncooked pasta shells generously with the spinach mixture.
- In a 23 x 33 cm / 9 x 13″ baking dish, pour the warm tomato sauce. Carefully nestle the filled shells into the dish, ensuring most are submerged, though some might peek above.
- Cover the dish with a baking sheet or foil and bake for 70 minutes.
- Check the pasta shells for doneness; they should be firm to the bite. If not, cover and continue baking. Once ready, top with shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan. Return to the oven for 15 minutes until the cheese melts.
- Serve hot, adding extra parmesan and fresh basil as a garnish, if you like.
