Shells Florentine

This recipe was always a classic in my mother's house when I was growing up.  Basically, these are like tiny spinach lasagnas.  Tiny delicious spinach lasagnas.  However unlike with my Spinach Lasagna, I used a homemade Marinara Sauce for these shells.  This recipe captures the taste of lasagna, but it much less labor intensive and does not take nearly as long to cook. 

The Ingredients

16 large pasta shells, prepared al dente

1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 egg white

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups marinara sauce

The Tools

large stock pot

bowl

pastry bag or zip loc bag

9x13 in baking dish

aluminum foil

The Cooking

Add the pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente.  While the pasta cooks, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Thaw and drain the spinach

Combine the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, egg white, Parmesan cheese and seasoning together in a large mixing bowl. 

Add the spinach to the cheese mixture and spoon the entire into a ziploc bag with a corner snipped off ( of course you can use a pasty bag as well).

Pipe the spinach mixture into the each individual shell

Place the stuffed shells into the 9x13 in baking dish and cover them with the marinara sauce.

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake it for 30 to 40 minutes.