Vegetarian Skillet Stuffed Shells

I had been craving Italian food for a while, so I was excited when I stumbled upon a vegetarian skillet stuffed shells recipe on Epicurious. It was a fairly easy recipe to make and called for ingredients I had on hand. I stayed close to the original recipe, although I substituted cottage cheese for ricotta, added some mozzarella, and baked them in the oven for the last few minutes instead of on the stovetop. I liked that the recipe was healthier and didn’t use a ton of cheese on top. I served these shells with a light, delicious salad and freshly baked bread for a tasty dinner, which my whole family enjoyed.

Vegetarian Skillet Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

• 15-18 jumbo pasta shells
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ lb cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 5 oz baby spinach, chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 jar marinara sauce (my jar was 32 oz – about 4 cups)
• 2 cups whole milk, small-curd cottage cheese (or ricotta)
• ¾ cup Parmesan, finely grated, plus more for serving
• ½ cup mozzarella, shredded
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• Fresh parsley, chopped for serving

How to Make Vegetarian Skillet Stuffed Shells:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cook the shells in a large pot of well-salted boiling water according to the package instructions, stirring occasionally, until al dente, then drain.

Place the separated shells on a baking sheet until needed. Side Note: Don’t overcook the shells–they will finish cooking in the sauce.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their juices and are golden brown, about 5-6 minutes.  Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.

Add the wine and cook, stirring often, until reduced by half, 2 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until it is wilted and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Pour mixture into a large bowl and set aside.

Heat the butter in the same ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and softened. Add the marinara sauce and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, about 4-5 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, add the cottage cheese (or ricotta), Parmesan, mozzarella, and oregano to the bowl with the mushroom mixture; stir until combined. Taste and re-season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.

Spoon 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture into each shell–do not overstuff the shells.

Nestle the stuffed shells into the simmering sauce.

Cover with a lid and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven.

Serve with fresh parsley on top and Parmesan on the side.  Enjoy.