Ricotta Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce

I have a fabulous book and recipe to share with you today.  First the book!

The Daphne Project by Jacqui Lents
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After finding herself at rock bottom, Daphne finds herself moving across the country to Maine. She gets to know the community in her new town while she digs into a mystery. But things don't always go smoothly. Through it all, she starts to understand the town, and more importantly, herself.

This is a sweet little story about fresh starts - plus the main character is a librarian - what's not to love?

View all my reviews

This sweet story kept me hooked from beginning to end - Daphne really could be any of us as we find our way in this world, either as youngsters or if we reinvent ourselves at a more mature age.

This isn’t really a foodie book, but I wanted to give a shoutout to this debut author and I always give a shoutout with a recipe.  

Lucky for me, a delicious lasagna is mentioned in the book.  Today’s recipe isn’t quite lasagna (because I already shared my favorite lasagna recipe ever), but a twist on lasagna using giant pasta shells, since I’ve always wanted to give them a try!

These were a hit in my house.  Super flavorful and easy to portion, I know I’d love a plate of this while reading Jacqui’s next book!

Ricotta Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce

Adapted from Fork Knife Spoon

10 ounces jumbo pasta shells

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cups (packed) fresh spinach, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

15 ounces ricotta cheese

1 cup Italian cheese blend or mozzarella

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

¼ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef

28 ounces spaghetti sauce

Cook the pasta shells to al dente in a large pot of salted water.  Drain and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Meanwhile, place the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks.  Once browned, add the spaghetti sauce.  Pour the sauce mixture into a 9x13-inch casserole dish.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute more.  Place the cooked spinach in a bowl to cook slightly.

Add the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, basil, egg, and black pepper to the spinach and stir to mix.

Use a spoon to stuff about 2 tablespoons of ricotta mixture into the cooked shells.

Once stuffed, nestle the shells into the sauce.

Cover the casserole dish with foil, then bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.  Remove foil and cook for another 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is just beginning to brown.

Serves 6-8