Giant Shells Filled With Spinach and Ricotta
Giant Shells Filled With Spinach and Ricotta
Ingredients
-
1
pound baby spinach, rinsed, or 2 pounds bunch spinach, stemmed and washed thoroughly
-
Salt to taste
-
12
ounces giant pasta shells
-
1
tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
-
1 to 2
garlic cloves, to taste, cut in half, green shoots removed
-
10
ounces ricotta cheese
-
1
egg, beaten
-
2
tablespoons minced chives
-
2
ounces Parmesan, grated about 1/2 cup
-
Freshly ground pepper
-
2
cups marinara sauce, preferably homemade
Preparation
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt
generously. Fill a bowl with ice water. Blanch the spinach for no more
than 20 seconds, just until wilted, and transfer to the ice water, then
drain. Squeeze out excess water. Bring the water in the pot back to a
boil and add the pasta shells. Cook al dente, about 10 minutes, and
drain and toss with the olive oil. Set aside.
- Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade
and drop in the garlic. When the garlic is chopped and adhering to the
sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the
bowl. Add the spinach and pulse to chop finely. Add the ricotta and the
egg and process until well blended. Add 1/3 cup of the Parmesan, the
chives, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse until well blended.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a large baking
dish or two 2-quart dishes. The shells should fit into the dish in one
layer. Fill each shell with a scant tablespoon of the filling. Arrange
in a single layer in the baking dish. Top with the tomato sauce and
cover the dish with foil.
- Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the heat, sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan, and serve.
-
Advance
preparation: You can assemble this dish through Step 3 several hours
before baking and keep it in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it
for a few months.
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