Spinach And Cheese Stuffed Shells With Two Sauces

Spinach And Three Cheese Stuffed Shells are baked with two sauces, both a marinara as well as a light Alfredo sauce, until hot and bubbly. It’s the perfect dish to serve at a large gathering as the shells can to assembled ahead of time and baked right before serving. However, the stuffed pasta shells are so tasty that you might not want to wait for a party and instead, serve them to your family over the weekend.

Spinach And Cheese Stuffed Shells With Two Sauces

What makes this stuffed pasta recipe so good? Fresh baby spinach sautéed in olive oil and garlic gives a real flavor boost to the creamy three cheese filling. It is then baked with both a homemade marinara sauce as well as a light Alfredo sauce, then garnished with diced fresh tomatoes and fresh basil just before going to the table.

Spinach And Cheese Stuffed Shells With Two Sauces

Serves 4, allowing 3 shells per person so adjust the recipe accordingly.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Marinara Sauce

• 1 – 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 oz. can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Heat oil in a sauté pan and cook the garlic until it becomes fragrant and just starts to turn golden. Add the crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes. Keep warm.

Light Alfredo Sauce

• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 4 Tbsp. Wondra flour (quick dissolving finely milled flour) or all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 c. milk, warmed (more if needed)
• 1/2 – 3/4 c. Locatelli Romano cheese, grated
• salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan then whisk in the flour, stirring constantly for about two minutes. Slowly add the warmed milk and continue to stir until the sauce is thickened and smooth. Add the cheese, salt and pepper and cook for about three minutes more. If sauce is too thick, thin with a little extra milk. Keep warm, with a piece of plastic wrap over the sauce so a skin doesn’t form.

Spinach And Ricotta Stuffed Shells

• Jumbo pasta shells (allow about 3 per person plus a couple extra for breakage)
• 1 bag (10 – 16 oz.) fresh baby spinach, chopped OR 1 c. frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and with all the moisture squeezed out
• 1 – 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 lb. ricotta cheese (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 3 Tbsp. grated Locatelli Romano cheese or Parmesan
• a pinch of nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 plum tomatoes, skinned, seeded and cut into dice (optional)
• fresh basil leaves, torn and a couple of whole leaves for presentation (optional)

Cook the shells according to package directions, drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to keep from sticking. Sauté the garlic until soft then add the spinach and cook until wilted. Let cool, then place in a bowl and mix in the three cheeses, nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary then add the beaten egg and mix well. Pour about a 1/2 to 3/4 cup (depending on size of dish) of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 8 x 8 or 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Stuff each shell carefully with a heaping tablespoon or so of the cheese mixture (try not to overfill the shells as the pasta might tear) then line up in the baking dish. Pour over half of the Alfredo sauce, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and bake for about 10 minutes more until bubbly and just starting to brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for five minutes before serving.

Serve this meal family style right out of the baking dish or plate it as I did with a little extra tomato sauce on the bottom of each plate, top with the shells, add an extra spoon of  the Alfredo sauce and then garnish with chopped tomatoes and fresh basil. Serve any remaining sauces at the table.

*Can be prepared in stages ahead of time and then baked right before serving. Prepare up to the point of it going into the oven then top with parchment paper and wrap in foil and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to put it into the oven, just add a little extra cooking time. The shells can also be stuffed, placed loosely on a baking sheet and placed in the freezer until frozen. Then pack the frozen shells into freezer bags and freeze until you are ready to prepare a meal. If you are only making this for a few people, you can use individual gratin dishes for a pretty presentation. *Note: If you are freezing this dish, do not freeze the assembled recipe in aluminum foil containers as the acid in the tomatoes will react with the aluminum and can eat holes in the foil.

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Whether making the spinach and ricotta stuffed shells for just two or a large gathering of friends, I believe you will all agree that the two sauces and the topping of fresh tomatoes and basil make this one of the best stuffed pasta recipes you’ve eaten…at least I hope so. All that is needed to complete the meal is a crisp green salad, crusty bread and your favorite bottle of wine and you will have a happy group of people at your dinner table. Buon Appetito!