Hello friends!

So I have to tell you, I thought I would be sharing about three recipes for stuffed shells.

This was one of those recipes that I thought I’d test a couple times; stuffed shells sounded like a technique that I would need multiple chances to master.

Right?

Well, sort of right…

Good news: I mastered the shells!

Bad news: they are way too much work for yours truly.

For a special night or a holiday gathering, I could easily see myself whipping up a giant casserole dish of these babies, but for a meal during the middle of the week?

Fat chance. :p

Why didn’t anyone tell me how slippery cooked shells are?

Or how freaking hot they are?

Okay, maybe you are supposed to let them cool a bit, but for impatient (and forever hungry) individuals like myself,

“Ain’t nobody got time for that!”

I needed my stuffed shells immediately. So although the steps don’t seem particularly difficult in and of themselves, the actual assembly of said shells quickly becomes a hot mess in my kitchen.

“When does her kitchen not involve hot messes? Why did no one teach this girl some hand-eye coordination?!”

But, all of these trials and tribulations aside: these were good.

As in….”woah, these are how stuffed shells should always taste.”

Some healthy heaping handfuls of spinach, combined with chopped bacon make for a savory, hearty filling, while throwing the leftover bacon grease into the tomato sauce ensures you get all the bacon-y-ness you deserve.

Yes, you deserve bacon.

And you.

EVERYONE GETS BACON!

Top it with panko breadcrumbs before popping it in the oven, and you have yourself a perfect pasta dish for any special occasion.

Though I complain about slippery shells and hot messes, I will admit that these were absolutely worth the work and wait. I’ve had decent store-bought stuffed shells before, but none compare to making them fresh. The filling itself is 10x better for sure!

I’m actually heading to the kitchen to polish off the rest of them as we speak.

So enjoy your weekend, and I’ll see you first thing Monday!

Happy Baking!

Spinach Bacon Stuffed Shells

Recipe Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

1 box jumbo pasta shells

for the filling:

1 (15oz) container ricotta
1 egg, beaten
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup frozen spinach, defrosted and drained completely

for the sauce:

leftover bacon grease (from bacon in filling)
a few tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1 (28oz) can plus 1 (14.5oz) can crushed tomatoes

panko breadcrumbs, for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray one 13×9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta shells until al dente. Drain and toss with a smidge of olive oil. Let cool until you can easily hold one in your hand.
Meanwhile, Make the filling: stir ricotta and egg in a medium bowl until well mixed. Stir in sea salt, cheese, bacon and spinach until evenly distributed. Set aside until ready to use.
For the sauce: Pour leftover bacon grease into a glass measuring cup. Add enough olive oil to hit 1/3 cup of oil. Add this, along with sea salt, red pepper, and garlic to a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat until just fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add both cans of tomatoes and let cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until sauce comes together. Let cool slightly, then pulse in blender until smooth.
Add 1/2 cup sauce to bottom of prepared pan.
Assemble the shells: Hold shell in palm of your hand. Stuff with filling (approx 1 1/2 tbsp per shell) then place, seam side up, in prepared pan. Continue until you finish all the shells/fill up the casserole dish.
Top shells with rest of tomato sauce. Top with breadcrumbs and cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Serves 4-6

The post Spinach-Bacon Stuffed Shells appeared first on On Sugar Mountain.

Spinach Bacon Stuffed Shells

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