Everyone should make Baked Stuffed Ricotta Shells once in their life.
Not only are they are really yummy vegetarian option, they’re also just really yummy overall. For Meat-Free Monday, it doesn’t get much better than that as far as we’re concerned.
Now, you’ll need to get jumbo or giant shells for this. These aren’t always available at Coles or Woolworths, but you’re more likely to find them at IGA, or your local Italian deli.
Baked Stuffed Ricotta Shells are one of my favourite family meals to prepare and serve. A dish of tender pasta shells packed with cheese and baked in a sauce till warm and gooey is a classic. They are, in my opinion, the epitome of comfort food!
They’re filled with a mixture of cheeses, including ricotta and mozzarella. There’s also some spinach, onions, and garlic in there. They are bursting with flavor!
Method
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Cook the giant pasta shells according to the package directions.
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While that is cooking, finely chop the spinach and basil and mix together.
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In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, parmesan, and egg. Season with salt and pepper (around half a tsp each is normally enough). Add the chopped spinach and basil. Set aside in the fridge.
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Drain the pasta well. To the bottom of a casserole dish, add around two cups of the passata. Then divide the ricotta mix evenly in the shells, stuffing them with a spoon and smoothing the tops.
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Arrange the shells in the dish, add the rest of the passata, and sprinkle over the mozzarella.
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Bake for 30 minutes, serve warm.
