Pasta Stuffed with Spinach and Ricotta
Large pasta shells are stuffed with a mixture of spinach, ricotta, Parmesan and other seasonings, before being baked in a tomato sauce. Serve with a side salad.
Ingredients
Makes: 6
- 32 large pasta shells (conchiglioni)
- 2 (250g) tubs ricotta cheese
- 575g frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- 80g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 825ml pasta sauce
Method
Prep:20min ›
Cook:1hr ›
Ready in:1hr20min
- Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, gently place pasta shells in boiling water; bring water back to the boil. Cook until pasta shells are just tender; drain well.
- Squeeze spinach dry. Combine spinach, ricotta, 25g Parmesan cheese, fennel seeds, basil and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper; mix well.
- Spread 125ml pasta sauce evenly over the bottom of a 23x33cm or similar sized baking dish.
- Fill each pasta shell with the spinach cheese mixture. Arrange the shells, filling side up in the baking dish. Spoon remaining pasta sauce over the shells. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top of the shells.
- Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake in preheated oven until heated through; about 30 minutes.
Large pasta shells
Are also known as conchiglioni. They can be bought in Italian speciality stores or online.
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Reviews & ratings
Average global rating:
(195)
Reviews in English (146)
Simple to make and very good. This recipe is very flexible and additional ingredients can be added to suit individual preferences. I do agree the fennel seeds really add something. The next time I make these, I will double the fennel. Be careful not to over boil the shells before draining and stuffing. About five minutes in boiling water makes them tender. I used a potato ricer to “squeeze” the water out of the spinach. I then used a food processor to mix all of the ingredients. Since the spinach is usually long and stringy, the food processor method gives you a perfectly mixed filling that is easy to handle when filling the shells. Serve this with a green salad and garlic bread. It’s a keeper. - 03 Apr 2004 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
We love this dish! Had never tried the fennel seed - that was yummy! I added about 1 cup grated mozzarella to the cheese mixture as well as a beaten egg (just think it binds the filling a little better). Also sprinkled mozzarella over the top. - 23 Dec 2003 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
This recipe was awesome both times that I made it. The first time I made them they turned out so well that I made them again the next day and froze the bunch for ready made suppers. They froze wonderfully and reheated easily, I just popped them into the oven frozen and baked them for about 1 hr. They turned out just as well as making and eating them the same day. What I really enjoyed about this recipe was the flavor the fennel seeds gave. I would definitely make this over and over again. Oh, by the way, it was a real hit with my husband and three teenagers!!! - 18 Sep 2001 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)