Stuffed Shells with Ricotta and Meat Sauce

Lasagna is like a painter’s canvas: Once all the desired supplies are at hand, the possibilities for creation are infinite. But the labor doesn’t have to be!

If you think “tough to make” when you think of lasagna, you haven’t made this stuffed pasta shell recipe yet. 

Ingredients:

1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese

3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

4 cloves garlic cloves, minced

1 egg

2 teaspoons italian seasoning

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pound ground beef, browned and fat drained

4 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and water squeezed out

24 ounces marinara sauce, homemade or jarred

12 ounces large pasta shells

Garnishes

Parsley, fresh leaves Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F.
2. Combine ricotta, 1/2 cup of mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, garlic, egg and Italian herbs and salt and pepper in a large bowl and stir until combined. Fold in ground beef and spinach. Transfer mixture to a large zip-top bag and snip one corner off of the bag.
3. Spread about 1 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9×13” casserole dish. Pipe the beef/cheese mixture into a dry pasta shell and place in the casserole dish. Repeat with remaining cheese mixture and shells until the casserole dish is filled. Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the casserole dish.
4. Cover casserole with aluminum foil and transfer to preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until most of the water has been absorbed and shells are beginning to soften.
5. Remove casserole from oven and discard foil cover. Sprinkle remaining 2 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese over the top and return to the oven. Bake for an additional 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving