Spinach and Ricotta-Stuffed Shells

There is no need to be intimidated by such a recipe. You can do it!


When I served this dish to my significant other, I was expecting the same routine. He would salt the heck out of it, eat it and life would go on. What I didn't expect was all the raving. From another room, I could hear his fork clanging against the plate over and over. The compliments were bountiful, and I was beaming with pride. Stuffed shells may now be marked off the
bucket list. Success!


For a step-by-step tutorial, please visit MY INSTRUCTABLE




2 cups Multi-Purpose Marinara
Cooking spray
2 1/2 cups part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1 10 ounce package of frozen spinach - thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 large egg yolk
1 clove of garlic, minced or squeezed through a garlic press
24 jumbo pasta shells - jumbo. Should be cooked prior to assembling this dish.

Multi-Purpose Marinara Sauce

Oh, the magic of the smells floating through your house when a big pot of this wonderful Marinara sauce is on the stove top.

The longer it simmers, the more intense the flavor, and the thicker it becomes, making it a wonderful sauce in that you decide what the end result will be. Marinara sauce is so versatile. Dip mozzarella sticks into a hot pool of it, and you'll melt like the cheese that would taste great on top of it.

Pour it over a bed of pasta, doll it up further for use as a pizza sauce, there are so many things you can do with it.

Easily adapted if you wish to vary from the given recipe, so please, by all means, have fun with it. Add capers, add mushrooms, olives if you desire. Add more onion, less onion,
no onion. This is your sauce. Let's get started!


For a detailed, step-by-step tutorial with full instructions and a lot of pictures, please
see my Instructable: MULTI-PURPOSE MARINARA SAUCE.

• 3 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 cups of chopped yellow onion (usually about 3 medium-ish onions)
• 3 Tablespoons of minced / diced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 2 teaspoons of dried basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds (crushed, if you prefer)
• 2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar (not apple cider, not white)
• 2 cups of fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (no, you can't tell, and it's better for you)
• 3 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes (you may use salt free if you wish to reduce sodium)