Christmas Notebook

Dinner tonight was Stuffed Shells Florentine. We’ve had this before and it’s really good.

Stuffed Shells Florentine [Click the link for the original recipe.]

1 12-oz box jumbo shells for stuffing
3 c. spaghetti sauce
3 c. fresh spinach, chopped
24 oz. Ricotta or cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. chopped parsley
salt to taste
2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided

[If you don’t have spaghetti sauce, you can use crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce. Sprinkle some dried oregano and basil over it for a some Italian flavor.]

While the water heats for the pasta, prepare your ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 375*. Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Spread a bit of sauce in the bottom of the pan.

Cook the pasta until al dente. It will continue to cook in the oven, so don’t cook it too soft at this stage. Drain.

While the pasta cooks, give the spinach a rough chop, toss it into a skillet and heat it for a few minutes, stirring a few times. No need to add oil. The water in the spinach will steam it. Don’t take it down to a total wilt. A few minutes of tossing in the skillet will do it. Remove from heat.

Mix the ricotta and the eggs until smooth.

Add the Parmesan, spinach, parsley, salt, and 1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese. Stir till well mixed.

Stuff the shells. I use a small scoop and overfill it slightly. Perfect size.

Put the shells in the 9×13 pan. My pan was a touch smaller, so I layered the extra shells on top. Worked just fine. If making two layers, spread a bit of sauce between the layers. When all the shells are stuffed and in the pan, pour the rest of the sauce on top.

Top the sauce with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

Cover loosely with foil, and bake at 375* for 30 minutes.

I served it with steamed sugar snap peas and toasted homemade bread, topped with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkled with mozzarella cheese and broiled until the cheese melted.

~~Rhonda