Stuffed Shells Florentine
Full of three cheeses and spinach and covered in a spicy tomato based sauce, these Stuffed Shells Florentine are just delectable. One of the few times I use a doctored-up jarred pasta sauce in a recipe and can say that it is better than homemade! Also one of the few meatless dinners that EJ will actually eat and then ask for seconds!
We love pasta in this family…all different shapes, sauces and types. But most of the pasta dishes that I make have either have meat in them or meat served alongside them. One exception are these Stuffed Shells Florentine. I have been making these stuffed shells for many many years and the ease to put them together belies how delicious they are! My kids love them to this day. I always make a big batch as they freeze well and leftovers keep several days in the fridge. Great to bring to loved ones that you want to bless. They travel well and reheat easily.
For the jarred sauce, I use Rao’s Arrabiata Sauce. I normally do not buy jarred sauce, but if I do, Rao’s is my favorite brand. You could use another good quality Arrabiata sauce, but definitely use arrabiata. It is a spicy sauce that adds that special something extra to these shells.
Serve these Stuffed Shells Florentine with a green salad, such as my Favorite Italian Green Salad with Avocado and some Chicago Italian bread! Mangia!
Stuffed Shells Florentine
Ingredients
- 12-24 jumbo pasta shells
- 1 10 ounce package frozen, chopped spinach thawed and squeezed dry
- 2 cups mozzerella cheese freshly shredded
- 1 15 ounce ricotta cheese
- 3 tablespoons cottage cheese optional
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 3 green onions chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil or italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2-4 cups Arrabiata sauce I use Rao's
- 1 small can diced green chiles
Instructions
- Cook the pasta shells in boiling salted water for about 9 minutes. Drain well and set aside to cool. I like to place them on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment or paper towels to make it easier to stuff them.
- Place the Arrabiata sauce in a small sauce pan and add the green chiles. Warm the sauce over medium low heat until thoroughly heated.
- Meanwhile, place the spinach that has been drained and squeezed of all moisture ( I use paper towels for this) in a large bowl. Add the next nine ingredients (10 if using the optional cottage cheese) to the spinach and mix well.
- Fill each pasta shell with about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture. A small ice cream/cookie scoop makes stuffing the shells so easy!
- Ladle about half of the hot arrabiata sauce in the bottom of a lightly greased baking dish. Nestle the stuffed shells into the sauce and drizzle a bit more sauce over the top of the shells. They do not need to be completely covered with the sauce. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese.
- Baked in a preheated 350° oven for 35-40 minutes, until bubbling and hot. The last 5 minutes of cooking you can add more mozzerella and parmesan on top (I certainly do!) Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Mangia!