Stuffed Shells Florentine

I love stuffed shells. They are so easy to make and are such a crowd pleaser. They are also great to bring to a potluck. The original recipe comes from my Aunt Nancy, but I’ve changed it up a bit, and it is a winner! My kiddos loved them, and it’s a great way to get some spinach into the kiddos as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz. container of low fat ricotta cheese
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 c. grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach, cooked and well drained
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Box of Jumbo Shells
• 1 jar of pasta sauce (I use Ragu Traditional)
• chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook jumbo shells in boiling salted water for about 10 minutes. The box I used said to cook for 13 minutes, but you don’t want to cook them for that long, because the shells will continue to cook in the oven
3. Meanwhile, cook the spinach in the microwave or in boiling water. Drain the spinach really really well. I put the spinach in a mesh strainer and used the back of a large spoon to press the spinach to get all the water out.
4. Combine the first 8 ingredients (through the salt) in a bowl. Pour half of the jar of sauce onto the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan. Stuff the shells with about 3 TBSP of the cheese mixture; then place the shells (stuffed side up) on top of the sauce. Spoon remaining sauce over the shells. I made 20 stuffed shells tonight, so if your pan won’t hold all of them, put the extras in another pan. The number you make will vary by how much you stuff the shells.
5. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35 minutes, or until hot. Sprinkle with parsley.

Here’s a photo of what the shells look like stuffed before I put the sauce on top.

Stuffed Shells Florentine: