Effortless Stuffed Shells Four Cheese Spinach (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Pasta

01 - 20 large pasta shells

→ Filling

02 - Up to 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 3 garlic cloves, chopped up
04 - 4 cups fresh spinach (or thawed frozen—just drain it well)
05 - 425 grams ricotta cheese
06 - 65 grams Parmesan cheese, shredded, keep some aside
07 - 300 grams mozzarella, grated, split for filling and topping
08 - 30 grams cream cheese
09 - 1 big egg

→ Assembly and Baking

10 - 700 ml marinara sauce
11 - Chopped fresh parsley to scatter on top

→ Seasonings

12 - Half a teaspoon salt
13 - Quarter teaspoon black pepper
14 - Half a teaspoon dried basil
15 - Half a teaspoon dried parsley
16 - Half a teaspoon dried oregano

# Instructions:

01 - Set oven to 190°C. Start a pot of salted water and once it’s rolling, add the shells. Cook them about a minute shy of package timing—aim for them to be just under al dente, like 13 minutes. Drain, cool under the tap, then put aside.
02 - Drizzle olive oil in a large skillet and warm it up over medium. Toss in the chopped garlic and cook for a bit till it smells good, about a minute. Pile in the spinach, swirl it around, and cook another three minutes until extra soft. Let it cool off the heat.
03 - Grab a big bowl. Dump in ricotta, salt, pepper, dried basil, parsley, and oregano. Stir it up. Add half your mozzarella, most of the Parmesan (but save some for the top), cream cheese, and egg. Mix till smooth, then drop in your cooled spinach and garlic and fold together.
04 - Spoon half the marinara into the base of a 23x33 cm baking dish or another oven-safe pan. Fill your shells with the cheesy spinach mix, then lay them out over the sauce.
05 - Pour the rest of the marinara over stuffed shells. Sprinkle on leftover mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover in foil, bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and go another 10 so the cheese bubbles and browns a bit. Finish with fresh parsley before eating.

# Notes:

01 - Don’t cook shells all the way because they’ll soften up as they bake.
02 - Cook a few extra shells since some like to split or tear.
03 - If you’re using frozen spinach, really squeeze out that water after thawing.
04 - Grate mozzarella and Parmesan yourself for the best stretch and flavor.
05 - Make ahead: assemble and keep chilled up to 1 day, or freeze for 3 months before baking.

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