Stuffed Pasta Shells

One of my favourite all time pasta dishes are home-made stuffed shells. I originally learned how to make them from my sister. I have adopted it now and with my own minor alterations, the recipe has been a hit each time I’ve made it. The only reason it has taken me so long to post this up is because each time I forget to take a photo, only realizing after eating it all up!

This recipe is so simple, yet so delicious and involves no cooking at all, mostly chopping! As there is no cooking of the mix, the filling has a delicate crunch and the flavours compliment each other. You can play around with your own fillings and sauces; below is just one of the many combinations that works really well. What’s more, this dish is a great main for a dinner party as you can do all the prep ahead of time with only baking left for when your guests have arrived!

Serves 5-6; Total Time: 45-55 minutes 

Ingredients:

1/2 packet (approx 30) conchiglie pasta (jumbo shells)

1 bag (100g) fresh  spinach, chopped
1 tub (250g) ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 small green bell peppers, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small tub (100g) mushrooms, chopped
1/2 tbsp dried mixed Italian herbs or handful of chopped fresh herbs
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground black pepper/red chili flakes, or to taste

1/8 tsp salt or to taste
3 cups zingy pasta sauce

1. Cook the pasta shells according to instructions on the package. Run through cold water and set aside. Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, make the filling by mixing together all the ingredients above except for: pasta shells, 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese, and pasta sauce.
3. Spoon 1/2 cup of pasta sauce evenly over bottom of large baking dish.
4. Individually fill the cooked pasta shells with 1-2 tbsp of the filling made in Step 2. Place the stuffed shell in the baking tray. Repeat with the remaining shells.
5. Drizzle a tbsp of sauce on each shell and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Cover loosely with foil and bake for about 35 minutes.

Cool for a few minutes and serve. Bon Apetit!