Mushroom and Spinach Stuffed Shells

I was in the mood for Italian, so I made this mushroom and spinach stuffed shells recipe using leftover roasted tomato, garlic, and onion marinara. The creamy ricotta was delicious with the tangy marinara sauce, and I loved mushrooms. We all really loved these stuffed shells and thought they paired nicely with our house salad with Fran’s vinaigrette and some crusty bread.

Mushroom and Spinach Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 8 oz white button mushrooms, sliced
• ¼ yellow onion, diced finely
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 egg, well-beaten
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated (divided)
• ½ cup of fresh spinach, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (divided)
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• ½ tsp dried basil
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• ⅛ tsp nutmeg
• 3 cups of roasted tomato, garlic, and onion marinara (or your favorite store-bought brand)
• 12 jumbo pasta shells, cooked per instructions

How to Make Mushroom and Spinach Stuffed Shells:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a large baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the mushrooms and onions and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5-6 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, ½ cup of the mozzarella, ¼ cup of the Parmesan, the egg, the spinach, 1 tablespoon of parsley, fresh basil, the nutmeg, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly, then add the mushrooms and onion and combine. Taste mixture and re-season if needed.

Pour ½ cup of marinara into the bottom of the prepared large baking dish.

Place the 12 cooked shells in the pan.

Stuff each shell with the ricotta and mushroom mixture.

Pour the remaining sauce over the stuffed shells.

Add the last remaining ½ cup of mozzarella and ½ cup of Parmesan. Sprinkle the dried basil on top.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes to brown the top. Enjoy!