Easy Tastebud Delights
01.12.08 Edition (January 12, 2008)
Easy Recipes
45 minutes+
Stuffed Cheesy Pasta Shells
1 box dry jumbo pasta shells
1 lb. ground beef
1 package fresh baby spinach
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 cup chopped frozen onion, sweet peppers and celery
coarse salt, to taste
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
sprinkle of oregano
1 egg
grated parmesan cheese
grated mozzarella cheese
1 jar or can pasta sauce
Brown the ground beef. Drain fat.
In a food processor or blender, puree a package of fresh baby spinach, a couple shots of extra-virgin olive oil, garlic to taste and frozen packaged onions, peppers and celery. If it's too thick, you can add a bit of water to loosen it up.
Cook large pasta shells, a whole box isn't necessary but some may break. Cook until almost "al dente" because they will be baked and cook a bit more in the sauce.
While pasta is boiling, add your spinach puree to the meat mixture, and cook it for 10 minutes or so on medium heat. Season to taste with coarse salt, black pepper and a sprinkle of oregano.
Once cooked and seasoned, transfer the meat/spinach filling mixture to a shallow dish to let it cool. Once cooled, stir in a handful of fresh shredded parmesan, mozzarella and one egg to cooled filling mixture, depending on how cheesy you'd like it.
Drain and rinse pasta with cold water so it will be cool enough to handle and won't stick to itself. Use a small spoon to stuff the shells with the filling mixture.
Pour about a cup of pasta sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Lay stuffed shells over sauce in the baking dish then pour remaining sauce from jar over the stuffed shells. Cover, and bake at 350 degrees for about a half hour. Garnish with grated parmesan, fresh basil, oregano or any other seasoning you'd like, and serve.
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Hi Everyone! I hope your Saturday is going well.
First of all, we had the leftover Shepherd's Pie last night for dinner and it tasted better the next day! I think there is one piece left in the pan.
Today's recipe is one that caught my attention while searching for a feature recipe for the day. I plan to make it for dinner tonight. Usually when I make stuffed pasta shells I don't mix the meat and cheese together, I layer cheese then meat then more cheese in the shell and top it off with pasta sauce.
I've also never seen frozen, diced celery, onions and sweet peppers but have heard they exist. I figure if I can find them they would save alot of cutting time. I'll let you know tomorrow how they turned out. I'll be serving them with a side salad and garlic cheese bread. Enjoy!
First of all, we had the leftover Shepherd's Pie last night for dinner and it tasted better the next day! I think there is one piece left in the pan.
Today's recipe is one that caught my attention while searching for a feature recipe for the day. I plan to make it for dinner tonight. Usually when I make stuffed pasta shells I don't mix the meat and cheese together, I layer cheese then meat then more cheese in the shell and top it off with pasta sauce.
I've also never seen frozen, diced celery, onions and sweet peppers but have heard they exist. I figure if I can find them they would save alot of cutting time. I'll let you know tomorrow how they turned out. I'll be serving them with a side salad and garlic cheese bread. Enjoy!
Stuffed Cheesy Pasta Shells
1 box dry jumbo pasta shells
1 lb. ground beef
1 package fresh baby spinach
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 cup chopped frozen onion, sweet peppers and celery
coarse salt, to taste
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
sprinkle of oregano
1 egg
grated parmesan cheese
grated mozzarella cheese
1 jar or can pasta sauce
Brown the ground beef. Drain fat.
In a food processor or blender, puree a package of fresh baby spinach, a couple shots of extra-virgin olive oil, garlic to taste and frozen packaged onions, peppers and celery. If it's too thick, you can add a bit of water to loosen it up.
Cook large pasta shells, a whole box isn't necessary but some may break. Cook until almost "al dente" because they will be baked and cook a bit more in the sauce.
While pasta is boiling, add your spinach puree to the meat mixture, and cook it for 10 minutes or so on medium heat. Season to taste with coarse salt, black pepper and a sprinkle of oregano.
Once cooked and seasoned, transfer the meat/spinach filling mixture to a shallow dish to let it cool. Once cooled, stir in a handful of fresh shredded parmesan, mozzarella and one egg to cooled filling mixture, depending on how cheesy you'd like it.
Drain and rinse pasta with cold water so it will be cool enough to handle and won't stick to itself. Use a small spoon to stuff the shells with the filling mixture.
Pour about a cup of pasta sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Lay stuffed shells over sauce in the baking dish then pour remaining sauce from jar over the stuffed shells. Cover, and bake at 350 degrees for about a half hour. Garnish with grated parmesan, fresh basil, oregano or any other seasoning you'd like, and serve.
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