Super Stuffed Shells

Ingredients :

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 (12-ounce) box jumbo pasta shells (18 to 20 shells)
  • 2 cups finely chopped onion
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 pound ground veal
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 15 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Essence
  • 1 teaspoon fresh basil, chiffonade
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Emeril’s Basic Tomato Sauce

Directions :

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pasta shells, and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally with a long-handled spoon to prevent the shells from sticking together. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain.

In a medium skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until very soft, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the ground veal and cook, stirring, until browned. Add the squeezed spinach and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Add the spinach mixture, the extra-virgin olive oil, Essence, remaining teaspoon of salt, the basil, oregano, and pepper, and stir to combine thoroughly.

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the spinach-ricotta filling into each cooked pasta shell. Place the filled shells in the prepared dish.

Pour Emeril’s Basic Tomato Sauce over the filled shells and top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly, about 20 o 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

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