Name: Spinach Stuffed Shells
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 sweet onion (like Vidalia), diced; 3 cloves garlic, sliced; 1 tsp red pepper flakes; 1 19 oz jar passata (strained Italian tomatoes); 1.5 cups water; 1 tsp sugar; 1 lb large pasta shells; 1/2 cup basil, thinly sliced; 1 12 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out; 16 oz cottage cheese; 2 cup whole milk mozzeralla, shredded - separated; 1 cup parmesan, grated; 2 eggs; 1/2 cup basil, chopped; 2 cloves garlic; 2 tsp Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute or Italian seasoning blend

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Spinach Stuffed Shells

Cheesy, saucy and filled with spinach, stuffed shells are a wonderful vegetarian meal that doesn’t even need a side dish. These are very freezer friendly and easy to batch. During the winter, I always have a tray of these in the freezer to warm up after a day of skiing!

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Spinach Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

Sauce

2 tbsp olive oil
1 sweet onion (like Vidalia), diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 19 oz jar passata (strained Italian tomatoes)
1.5 cups water
1 tsp sugar

Shells

1 lb large pasta shells

Filling

½ cup basil, thinly sliced
1 12 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out
16 oz cottage cheese
2 cup whole milk mozzeralla, shredded - separated
1 cup parmesan, grated
2 eggs
½ cup basil, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute or Italian seasoning blend

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉

Prepare the sauce

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until soft and translucent but not browned.
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, stirring often to ensure the garlic does not brown.
Add the jar of passata, water and sugar. Tip: add the water to the empty jar and swirl to get any remaining passata left in the jar.
Simmer sauce over low heat, stirring frequently while you prepare the remainder of the recipe.

Prepare the shells

Boil a large pot of water and prepare the shells according to the package directions.
Strain and allow to cool.

Prepare the filling

Combine all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix thouroughly, being sure to break up any large clumps of spinach. Be sure to use only 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella. Remaining cheese will be used to top prepared shells.

Assemble

In a large baking dish, spread about half of the prepared sauce in a thin layer. Place a scoop of filling within each shell and place shells in rows within the baking dish. Top with remaining sauce and shredded cheese
Bake for about 20 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is warm and bubbly.