Indulge in a culinary masterpiece that combines the richness of pancetta, the earthy flavor of spinach, and the delicate texture of pasta shells. This stuffed shells recipe is a delightful symphony of flavors and textures that will tantalize your taste buds. Discover how to craft this delectable dish with step-by-step instructions and helpful tips. Uncover the secret to achieving crispy pancetta that adds a delightful crunch to every bite. Learn how to perfectly cook the spinach to retain its vibrant color and nutrients. Master the art of stuffing the pasta shells with a flavorful mixture of ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses, ensuring a gooey, irresistible filling. This recipe promises an unforgettable dining experience, perfect for a special occasion or a cozy family dinner. Additionally, explore variations of this classic dish, including a vegetarian option with roasted mushrooms and a creamy Alfredo sauce. Embark on a culinary journey and create a dish that will leave a lasting impression on your palate.
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SHELLS WITH CRISPY PANCETTA AND SPINACH - GIADA DE LAURENTIIS
LOVE Giada De Laurentiis . . . this is one of her great recipes. LOTS of spinach- can cut in half if you are not a huge fan- but yummy none the less!
Provided by greyghost
Categories Pasta Shells
Time 50m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Shells:.
- Boil large pot of salted water over high heat.
- Add pasta and cook until tender but firm to bite, 8-10 minutes.
- Drain pasta.
- Warm olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.
- Add pancetta, cook until lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
- Remove pancetta with slotted spoon to large bowl, let cool.
- Add spinach, ricotta and asiago cheeses, pepper and nutmeg to bowl.
- Stir to combine.
- Stuff shells with about 2 TBS. of spinach mixture.
- Place shells in large buttered baking dish.
- Sauce:.
- Melt butter in medium saucepan.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add cream and simmer.
- Turn heat to very low and add 2 cups of asiago cheese, parsley, and pepper.
- Stir until cheese is melted.
- Pour sauce over shells.
- Top with remaining 1/4 cup asiago cheese.
- Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes.
- Remove and serve immediately.
SPINACH AND CHEESE STUFFED PASTA SHELLS
Magnificent jumbo pasta shells stuffed to bursting with cheesy spinach filling.
Provided by KITKATY
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 1h20m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, gently place pasta shells in boiling water; bring water back to boil. Cook until noodles are just tender; drain well.
- Squeeze spinach dry. Combine spinach, ricotta, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, fennel, basil and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper; mix well.
- Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Fill each pasta shell with the spinach cheese mixture. Arrange the shells, filling side up in the baking dish. Spoon remaining marinara sauce over the shells. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top of the shells.
- Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven until heated through; about 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 702.9 calories, Carbohydrate 94.9 g, Cholesterol 59.4 mg, Fat 21.3 g, Fiber 10.2 g, Protein 33 g, SaturatedFat 11 g, Sodium 1004 mg, Sugar 15.7 g
STUFFED SHELLS WITH CRISPY PANCETTA AND SPINACH
i love the asiago cream sauce! you could also use a red sauce. if pancetta is hard to find or you're on a budget, use bacon!! another giada recipe! i tweaked it quite a bit.
Provided by KPD123
Categories Pasta Shells
Time 50m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- For the shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and allow to cool before stuffing.
- Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the spinach, onion, garlic, parsley, ricotta cheese, asiago cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine.
- Stuff the shells with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture each and place the stuffed shells in a large, buttered baking dish.
- For the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the cream and bring to a simmer.
- Turn the heat to very low and add the 2 cups asiago cheese, parsley, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is dissolved.
- Pour the sauce over the shells. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup asiago cheese.
- Bake, covered, until golden on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
SPINACH-RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS
Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with ricotta cheese and baked in tomato sauce is a comforting classic. For this version, add in loads of cooked greens to the filling to add a fresh and colorful vegetable component, without skimping on the oozy cheese.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 1h30m
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes; season with salt. (You should have about 4 heaping cups of sauce.)
- Make the stuffed shells: Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook as the label directs for baking, about 9 minutes. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Spread out on a baking sheet.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a large plate lined with a kitchen towel. Squeeze to remove any excess liquid, then finely chop.
- Put the spinach in a large bowl and add the ricotta, mozzarella, parsley, Parmesan, lemon zest, beaten egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir until combined.
- To assemble, spread about half of the sauce in the bottom of a 10-by-14-inch baking dish. Evenly fill the shells with the spinach-ricotta mixture using a spoon, or pipe it in using a pastry bag. Arrange the shells side by side, open-side up, in the baking dish on top of the sauce, then top with the remaining sauce.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake until heated through and the sauce is simmering around the edges, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until any shells or cheese poking through the sauce are lightly browned in spots, about 10 more minutes. Let sit 10 minutes. Top with more Parmesan and red pepper flakes.
SUPER STUFFED SHELLS
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 1h50m
Yield 18 to 20 stuffed shells
Number Of Ingredients 37
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pasta shells, and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally with a long-handled spoon to prevent the shells from sticking together. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain.
- In a medium skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until very soft, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the ground veal and cook, stirring, until cooked and browned. Add the squeezed spinach and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Add the spinach mixture, the extra-virgin olive oil, Essence, remaining teaspoon of salt, the basil, oregano, and pepper, and stir to combine thoroughly. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the spinach-ricotta filling into each cooked pasta shell. Place the filled shells in the prepared dish.
- Pour the Basic Red Sauce over the filled shells and top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
- Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.
- In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, salt, basil, oregano, and pepper, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, and sugar and stir well. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until thickened and fragrant, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and keep warm until ready to use.
STUFFED SHELLS RECIPE BY TASTY
Stuffed with a garlicky spinach-ricotta-Parmesan mixture, dressed with bright marinara sauce, topped with mozzarella cheese, and baked to golden, melty perfection, these shells are worth staying in for.
Provided by Tasty
Categories Lunch
Time 55m
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the jumbo shells and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the jumbo shells through a colander.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the garlic and stir until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted down, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let the spinach cool to room temperature, then roughly chop on a cutting board.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta and egg. Add the chopped spinach, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, the black pepper, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine.
- Fill the jumbo shells with the ricotta mixture.
- Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Spread 2 cups of marinara on the bottom of the pan.
- Arrange the stuffed shells in a single layer over the marinara sauce. Spread the remaining 1 cup of marinara over the shells and top with the mozzarella.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover the pan and continue baking until the cheese has melted and is golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- Garnish with the basil and serve immediately.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 497 calories, Carbohydrate 40 grams, Fat 23 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 30 grams, Sugar 4 grams
STUFFED SHELLS FILLED WITH SPINACH AND RICOTTA
These are comforting and easy to put together. You can make them ahead and heat them in the oven when you're ready for dinner.
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Categories dinner, weekday, pastas, main course
Time 1h
Yield About 40 shells, serving 6
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Fill a bowl with ice water. Blanch the spinach for no more than 20 seconds, just until wilted, and transfer to the ice water, then drain. Squeeze out excess water. Bring the water in the pot back to a boil and add the pasta shells. Cook al dente, about 10 minutes, and drain and toss with the olive oil. Set aside.
- Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop in the garlic. When the garlic is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the spinach and pulse to chop finely. Add the ricotta and the egg and process until well blended. Add 1/3 cup of the Parmesan, the chives, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse until well blended.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a large baking dish or two 2-quart dishes. The shells should fit into the dish in one layer. Fill each shell with a scant tablespoon of the filling. Arrange in a single layer in the baking dish. Top with the tomato sauce and cover the dish with foil.
- Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the heat, sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan, and serve.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 424, UnsaturatedFat 6 grams, Carbohydrate 54 grams, Fat 14 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 21 grams, SaturatedFat 6 grams, Sodium 672 milligrams, Sugar 7 grams, TransFat 0 grams
Tips:
- Use jumbo pasta shells for a heartier meal. Smaller shells will cook faster, but they won't hold as much filling.
- Cook the pasta shells al dente. This means that they should be tender but still have a slight bite to them. Overcooked pasta will be mushy and won't hold its shape.
- Use a variety of cheeses in the filling. This will give the filling a more complex flavor. Some good options include ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, and Asiago.
- Add some cooked vegetables to the filling. This will make the filling more nutritious and flavorful. Some good options include spinach, kale, zucchini, and mushrooms.
- Use a flavorful sauce. The sauce is what will really bring the dish together. Some good options include a tomato sauce, a cream sauce, or a pesto sauce.
- Bake the stuffed shells until they are bubbly and golden brown. This will ensure that the shells are cooked through and that the filling is hot and melted.
Conclusion:
Stuffed shells are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. They are perfect for a special occasion or a weeknight meal. With a little creativity, you can create your own unique stuffed shell recipe that your family and friends will love.
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