This one is a bit of a personal recipe for me. It’s one that I had as a comfort food a lot growing up. It’s also the one that got me to eat solid food for the first time after a particularly big surgery I had a number of years ago. It’s reasonably simple to throw together, delicious to enjoy, and has been something my family has made for decades.
What is it? Stuffed jumbo pasta shells!
The concept is simple. You have jumbo shells, cook them to a bit before al dente, and stuff them with a mixture of cheese, spinach, egg, and spices. Arrange it all on a baking sheet, top it with spaghetti sauce and more cheese, and bake.
A decent-sized meal, for me anyway, is 4-5 shells. This recipe makes 24, so it definitely lasts a couple days. It’s also one of those recipes where the leftovers taste even better than day one!
Let’s get right to it: here’s how to make these, the way my parents and their parents did.
Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Shells
Equipment
- Baking Dishes I usually need two.
- Large Pot
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 Lb. Jumbo Shells One standard-sized box; you won't use all of them.
- 32 Oz. Spaghetti Sauce Make your own, or buy a jar.
- 16 Oz. Fresh Baby Spinach Alternatively, one ca works.
- 2 Eggs
- 8 Oz. Ricotta Cheese
- 8 Oz. Cottage Cheese
- 8 Oz. Mozzarella Cheese
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese
- 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ Tsp Nutmeg
Instructions
- Get some water boiling and cook the shells until they're a bit under-done. You don't want them fully done or they'll be too soft to stuff. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350℉.1 Lb. Jumbo Shells
- Using a bit of butter or oil, saute the spinach until it's wilted, likely in several batches.16 Oz. Fresh Baby Spinach
- In a bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, eggs, spinach, and spices.2 Eggs, 8 Oz. Ricotta Cheese, 8 Oz. Cottage Cheese, 8 Oz. Mozzarella Cheese, 1 Tsp Garlic Powder, ½ Tsp Nutmeg
- Pour some of the spaghetti sauce into your baking dish, to cover the bottom.32 Oz. Spaghetti Sauce
- Stuff the shells with cheese mixture. The more you add, the fewer shells you get, so keep that in mind as you go.
- Arrange the shells across the baking dishes, top with the rest of the spaghetti sauce, and cover with parmesan and extra mozzarella if you like. Bake this for 30 minutes, until the cheese browns up.2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese