Vegetarian Stuffed Shells

this post is part of my 31 Day series. here is the beginning

Tonight was another vegetarian meal (assuming vegetarians eat cheese) and we all loved it. I'm noticing that we eat a lot of pasta though. Is that normal? Last night we had steak and rice with stir fry veggies. So..I guess pasta isn't on the menu every night. 

Anyways, I adapted tonight's dinner from a recipe in my Cook Yourself Thin cookbook. I put it all together while Ollie was napping so I only had to pop it into the over 20 minutes before we were ready to eat. Sweet!!

Vegetarian Stuffed Shells

15 jumbo pasta shells

6 ounces spinach

1 medium zucchini

1 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups pasta sauce

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

To start this meal, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook 15 jumbo pasta shells for 6-7 minutes so that they're just undercooked. Drain and lay out on a greased cookie sheet to cool. Don't let them touch each other or they'll stick together and then tear when you try to fill them later! 

In a skillet, wilt the spinach over medium heat, drain, and set aside in a big bowl. Grate one medium zucchini and, using the same skillet, cook until tender. Add to the bowl of spinach.

Add 1 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup grated parmesan, and 1/4 tsp salt to your green veggies and mix until well combined.

Spread a thin layer of pasta sauce onto the bottom of an 8x8 pan. If your shells have cooled enough by now, fill each one with cheesy filling - probably 1-2 tablespoons per shell. Cover with more sauce, about 1 1/2 cups (more or less depending how you like it). Sprinkle with a little bit more parmesan, and then top with 1/2 cup mozzarella.

Loosely cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes at 350*. Remove foil and bake another 5-8 minutes, until cheese is melted and slightly brown. Let cool slightly and then dig in!

Every night this week Camillo has complimented how good I'm getting at cooking. I don't think I'm doing anything better than before, it's just that I'm planning ahead and putting thought into our meals. That results in some tasty dishes and it makes me feel good to know Camillo is impressed!

xoxo
Joy