marinara sauceeither homemade or purchased from a store
2eggs
1cupof grated Parmesan cheese
1/2cupof chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4cupof chopped fresh basil
2cupsof grated mozzarella cheese
2garlic cloves
1tbspof olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the pasta shells according to the package instructions, but remove them from heat 1 minute early. Drain and set aside.
Heat olive oil over MEDIUM heat. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan, salt, pepper, parsley, and basil. Add the cooled spinach to the mixture. Transfer the ricotta filling to a piping bag.
Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce at the bottom of a casserole dish. Fill each pasta shell with the ricotta mixture and arrange them in the dish.
Top the shells with more marinara sauce, followed by mozzarella and extra Parmesan cheese.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Allow the dish to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Depending on how much filling you put into each pasta shell, you may or may not use the entire box of shells. I was very generous with the filling and ended up with 27 shells. You should be able to feed 8-10 people with this recipe, with a serving size of 3 to 4 shells per person.