Cheese & Vegetable Stuffed Pasta Shells
As our family gets busier during the Holiday season, we normally keep our sanity by having a peaceful and easy dinner time. Preparing this baked pasta dish ahead of time saves a lot of stress over what to make for dinner. If you pop it in the refrigerator in the morning, you can cook it when you get home and that rush during dinner can be avoided. And, won’t it feel great to relax!
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 (10 ounce) pkg. frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
2 cups shredded carrots
1 zucchini, julienned (1 1/2 cups)
1 yellow squash, julieened (1 1/2 cups)
4 garlic cloves minced
1 (8 oz) container ricotta cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound jumbo pasta shells, cooked
1 (25.5 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil for serving
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray a large baking dish with non-stick spray.
Cook pasta shells according to package directions.
Place oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions about 5 minutes or until just starting to brown. Add squash, zucchini, spinach, carrots and garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from pan and cool.
In a large mixing bowl mix together ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Fold cooled vegetables into cheese mixture. Fill shells with mixture. Each shell should hold about 1 tablespoon of the mixture.
Place shells in the baking dish. Cover shells with the spaghetti sauce and top with remaining Parmesan cheese.
*Bake 30 minutes.
* extend the baking time to about 40 to 45 minutes if the dish is cold out of the refrigerator.
Sprinkle with basil before serving.