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Each jumbo pasta shell is packed generously with a creamy mix of sauteed ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan and spinach, surrounded by a frying pan in rich marinara sauce. After a quick trip to the oven, the stuffed animal is bubbly slurp with melted cheese and fragrant marinara. Serve with a homemade garlic dinner roll.
Stuffed toys that stand out from the crowd!
Pasta is one of my favorite dishes and I always try to make pasta dishes a bit unique. This recipe uses jumbo shells (contiglioni) stuffed with classic spinach and ricotta stuffing, but there are some twists.
Add a rich, nutty crunch using toasted pine nuts on the top of the filling and shell. Before adding garlic and spinach to the ricotta mixture, it enhances flavor, reduces moisture, and maintains fill-hardened state. Fresh lemon zest and juice brighten up the overall flavor. Naubourg Shortcut: I cook Al Dente’s shy to prevent excessive flexibility. This method ensures that the shell retains its structure and absorbs the marinara sauce without falling apart. We use high-quality ingredients such as grated mozzarella cheese, parmesan and premium marinara sauce (such as rao or mezzetta) to enhance our dishes to restaurant quality.
material
Fresh ingredients: garlic, fresh spinach, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, fresh basil are required. Pantry: Must include Jumbo Pasta Shell (Contiglioni), olive oil, salt, pepper and pine nuts. Dairy: I use ricotta cheese, low humidity mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Tomato sauce: Use high quality store-bought marinara – we recommend the Rao or Mesetta brand. Tip: The photo below shows all the ingredients you need. Take a screenshot of your shopping list!
How to make a stuffed animal (step-by-step photos)
Note: This is a step-by-step overview. Find the complete recipe for your measurements with the recipe cards below.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and cook the jumbo shells. In a frying pan, stir-fry the garlic and spinach with a little salt and pepper until it has withered (speed up with a spatula).
In a medium bowl, mix the spinach with ricotta, mozzarella, palm, eggs, lemon juice, lemon juice and toasted pine nuts. Pour the marinara into the same frying pan.
Gentle pack those shells and place them in the sauce. Cover and bake until it foams, then reveal for a final golden touch. Finish with more PARM, basil and remaining pine nuts. Enjoy it immediately!
Tips for success
If necessary, it’s a more thoroughly mozzarella cheese perfect for a stuffed animal shell, but with plenty of use, it can overwhelm the delicate texture and flavor of spinach and ricotta. Cook the shell. If cooked thoroughly before baking, it will be heated in the final baked goods and light and dry. If the ricotta gets too wet, you can use a cheese cloth or strainer to drain excess water. Don’t overcome the shell. If it’s bulging, get out a little. If you are not uncut and only find pine nuts without salt, then toast in a pot over medium heat without oil. Mix every 30 seconds to prevent it from burning. Once it’s touch brown, sprinkle with salt and immediately transfer to a flat tray or plate to cool before use in your recipe.
Please add it
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stuffed toy
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Follow the cooking instructions on the Jumbo Pasta Shell Package. However, cook a little in Al Dente.
In a medium cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, stir-fry the garlic and spinach with salt and pepper spinach until the spinach has wilted. Spinach can be ground with a spatula to help more moisture evaporate during cooking. If the spinach leaves are large, try chop them roughly.
Taste eggs, ricotta, mozzarella, palm, ½ cup pine nuts, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a large bowl of spinach and garlic.
Pour the marinara into the same cast iron skillet, stuff the spinach ricotta mixture into the shell, stuff two tablespoons per shell and place in the sauce.
Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes until marinara is foaming and pasta is cooked. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve with Parmesan cheese, remaining pine nuts and chopped basil.
nutrition
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Nutritional information
stuffed toy
Amount per serving
% Daily Value*
*Percent daily value is based on the 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
Nutrition information on this website is only a quote and is provided as courtesy only, as it is convenient. The accuracy of nutritional information for recipes on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as an alternative to the advice of a professional nutritionist.
Alternative
Cottage Cheese: This cheese may contain lighter fat content than ricotta. However, it is often wet. Before using, drain it with either a strainer or a cheese cloth for at least 10 minutes. Mascarpone: Replace ricotta with mascarpone for a creamier, richer alternative. Kale, Swiss chard, arugula, frozen spinach: fresh spinach can be replaced with one of these other options. If you have frozen spinach, make sure to remove all moisture before mixing. Manicotti Tube: If you’re having trouble finding a jumbo pasta shell, you can fill the park-cooked Manicotti Tube with a spinach ricotta mixture. Vodka Sauce, Meat Sauce: You can use other types of tomato sauce in this recipe! Garlic Palm Bread Bread Topping: If you want to serve pine nuts for another crispy topping, a delicious alternative is to slightly toast in a small pan of about 1 cup Bread Bread, 1 tablespoon of garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of butter, and a small saucepan of salt and pepper. Sprinkle this on the stuffed animal before baking. Frozen spinach: You can replace fresh spinach with the same amount of frozen spinach. Make sure it is completely thawed and all water is squeezed out.
Variations
Spicy: If you want to add more spices, add 1/2 teaspoon of red chili pepper to the spinach ricotta mixture! Meat: You can add ground turkey, chicken, beef or pork to this recipe and add even more protein! Vegan: If vegan cheese is available, replace all your cheese with your favorite vegan type. Pest: Before baking, you can add pest to either or both of the ricotta stuffing and marinara!
Storage and reheating instructions
To refrigerate, cooled pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. To freeze, place the pasta in an airtight container. Freeze pasta for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. To reheat, place the pasta on a microwave safe plate, cover with a paper towel to prevent splattering, and heat it from 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until it reaches the desired temperature.
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