Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Shells- Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• 20 large pasta shells
• 1 can whole plum tomatoes (28 ounces), preferably San Marzano
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 7-8 leaves basil, torn
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 1 box chopped frozen spinach (10 ounces), defrosted or 3/4 pound fresh baby spinach, chopped
• A few grates of fresh nutmeg
• 1 box frozen baby or regular artichoke hearts (10 ounces), defrosted and chopped
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped
• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375ºF.

2. Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil the pasta. When the water reaches a bubble, salt it well, drop in the shells and cook them to al dente, according to the package directions. Drain the cooked shells and shock them under cold water to stop them from cooking. Reserve.

3. While the shells are cooking, mash up the tomatoes in the bottom of a casserole dish. Stir the butter, basil and some salt and pepper, to taste, into the dish and set aside.

4. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with two turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until it's aromatic and light golden brown, about 1 minute. Add the spinach and nutmeg to the pan and cook to heat through.
5. Transfer the spinach to a large bowl and stir in the artichokes, ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, lemon zest, thyme, egg yolk, parsley and some salt and pepper. Fill the reserved pasta shells with the mixture, arranging them on top of the sauce in the casserole dish as you complete them.
6. Cover the casserole with foil and transfer it to the oven. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and turn the oven up to 425˚F. Continue cooking until the filling is golden brown and bubbly, about 15 minutes more.

This came out super yummy!  I love the combination of spinach and artichokes, especially when cheese is involved. 

This recipe took a little longer than I thought it would. Give yourself enough time to prep or you can run around the kitchen like I do, whichever :)

I used canned artichokes, they work the same. I didn't have time to thaw spinach and artichokes, so I used frozen spinach and canned artichokes. I didn't use nutmeg. I'm not sure why I never use it, I just don't. I also bought the smaller ricotta cheese- it was 1 and 3/4 not two cups. I figured it was better not to have wasted cheese and I didn't notice the 1/4 cup was missing.

3 more Sunday's until California!!