Best Pasta Shells With Zucchini Spinach Recipes

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BAKED SPINACH-ARTICHOKE PASTA



Baked Spinach-Artichoke Pasta image

Toss spinach-artichoke dip with pasta, and it feels right at home on the dinner table. This recipe, which nixes the traditional cream cheese for a blend of salty Parmesan and heavy cream, is prepared on the stovetop and requires only 10 minutes of active cooking before it's slid into the oven. As with any baked pasta, the key is to cook the shells until pointedly shy of al dente and to toss them with a sauce that seems excessively wet, as the pasta will tenderize and the sauce will thicken in the oven. These ingredients skew classic, but there is infinite room to riff: Swap in chopped kale or mustard greens in place of the spinach, experiment with cheese combinations, stir in mustard or caramelized onions or top with crumbled bacon.

Provided by Aaron Hutcherson

Categories     dinner, easy, weeknight, casseroles, pastas, main course

Time 40m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Kosher salt
8 ounces medium pasta shells
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
10 ounces fresh baby spinach, or frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
2 cups heavy cream (1 pint)
4 ounces grated Parmesan (about 1 cup)
Black pepper
4 ounces grated mozzarella (about 1 cup)

Steps:

  • Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Turn down to medium-high, and cook the pasta according to package instructions until 2 minutes short of al dente (the pasta will finish cooking in the oven). Drain and reserve.
  • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the spinach little by little until wilted, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chopped artichokes.
  • Stir in the cream and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in the Parmesan until melted. Remove from the heat then carefully stir in the cooked pasta, or transfer to a large bowl to mix together, if necessary. The liquid might appear wet and loose, but it will thicken up as it bakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Transfer the pasta to a 2-quart casserole dish or individual casseroles or ramekins. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and bake until bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Broil until browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes, if desired. Let cool slightly before serving.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 630, UnsaturatedFat 17 grams, Carbohydrate 41 grams, Fat 44 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 21 grams, SaturatedFat 25 grams, Sodium 638 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams

CREAMY ZUCCHINI AND SPINACH PASTA BAKE



Creamy Zucchini and Spinach Pasta Bake image

Enjoy Italian fare at home with our Creamy Zucchini and Spinach Pasta Bake! You'll love the taste of this spinach pasta bake and how easy it is to make.

Provided by My Food and Family

Categories     Home

Time 1h

Yield 12 servings, about 1 cup each

Number Of Ingredients 9

3 cups cavatappi, uncooked
1 onion, chopped
2 zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, then sliced crosswise
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 pkg. (6 oz.) baby spinach leaves
1 jar (24 oz.) CLASSICO Marinara with Plum Tomatoes & Olive Oil Pasta Sauce
1 container (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese with a TOUCH OF PHILADELPHIA, divided

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 375°F.
  • Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt.
  • Meanwhile, cook and stir onions in large nonstick skillet on medium heat 3 to 4 min. or until crisp-tender. Add zucchini and mushrooms; cook 3 to 4 min. or until zucchini is crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Add half the spinach; cook 2 to 3 min. or just until wilted. Repeat with remaining spinach. Remove from heat.
  • Drain pasta. Add to vegetable mixture in skillet along with the pasta sauce, ricotta, Italian seasoning and 1 cup mozzarella; mix lightly.
  • Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining mozzarella.
  • Bake 20 to 25 min. or until casserole is heated through and mozzarella is melted.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 230, Fat 10 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, TransFat 0 g, Cholesterol 30 mg, Sodium 320 mg, Carbohydrate 0 g, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 0 g, Protein 13 g

CHEESY SPINACH-STUFFED SHELLS



Cheesy Spinach-Stuffed Shells image

This is my own personal recipe. I'm very proud of it because I am still a beginner cook and it was the first recipe I created. You can adjust it to your liking by doubling the spinach or adding some meat. -Laci Hooten, McKinney, Texas

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 1h30m

Yield 12 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 package (12 ounces) jumbo pasta shells
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 carton (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (4-1/4 ounces) chopped ripe olives
1-1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend, divided
1-1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce
Additional minced fresh basil, optional

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 375°. Cook pasta shells according to package directions for al dente. Drain; rinse with cold water., Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion; cook and stir until vegetables are tender, 4-6 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Remove from heat; cool slightly., In a large bowl, mix eggs, ricotta cheese, spinach, basil and pepper. Stir in olives, mushroom mixture and 3/4 cup each cheese blend and mozzarella cheese., Spread 1 cup sauce into a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Fill pasta shells with cheese mixture; place in baking dish, overlapping ends slightly. Spoon remaining sauce over top., Bake, covered, until heated through, 40-45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes longer. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with additional basil.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 313 calories, Fat 13g fat (7g saturated fat), Cholesterol 65mg cholesterol, Sodium 642mg sodium, Carbohydrate 32g carbohydrate (5g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 18g protein. Diabetic Exchanges

PEPPERONI PASTA BAKE



Pepperoni Pasta Bake image

It looks like your usual stuffed shells, but hidden under the cheese, pepperoni, and marinara is grated zucchini that kids will never detect.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Ingredients     Meat & Poultry     Pork Recipes

Time 50m

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta (20 ounces)
1 1/4 cups grated zucchini (from 1 medium zucchini)
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
1 large egg, beaten
Coarse salt and pepper
3 cups marinara, divided
28 jumbo pasta shells (7 ounces total), cooked according to package instructions
26 small pepperoni slices (2 ounces total)
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella (3 ounces)

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, zucchini, basil, and egg; season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Spread 1 cup marinara in a 9-by-13-inch broiler-proof baking dish. Fill each shell with 1 heaping tablespoon ricotta mixture and arrange in an even layer in dish. Top with remaining 2 cups marinara, then pepperoni and mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake until sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Heat broiler, remove foil, and broil until cheese is browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Top with additional basil and serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 694 g, Fat 28 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 39 g, SaturatedFat 14 g

SPINACH AND CHEESE STUFFED PASTA SHELLS



Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells image

Magnificent jumbo pasta shells stuffed to bursting with cheesy spinach filling.

Provided by KITKATY

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Italian

Time 1h20m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 9

32 jumbo pasta shells
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fennel seed
2 teaspoons dried basil
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
3 ½ cups spaghetti sauce

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, gently place pasta shells in boiling water; bring water back to boil. Cook until noodles are just tender; drain well.
  • Squeeze spinach dry. Combine spinach, ricotta, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, fennel, basil and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper; mix well.
  • Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  • Fill each pasta shell with the spinach cheese mixture. Arrange the shells, filling side up in the baking dish. Spoon remaining marinara sauce over the shells. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top of the shells.
  • Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven until heated through; about 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 702.9 calories, Carbohydrate 94.9 g, Cholesterol 59.4 mg, Fat 21.3 g, Fiber 10.2 g, Protein 33 g, SaturatedFat 11 g, Sodium 1004 mg, Sugar 15.7 g

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