Use either spinach or kale with ricotta for filling jumbo pasta shells. It’s great for meatless Mondays. Used homemade tomato sauce or your favorite jar sauce. To save time, make your filling and sauce ahead and refrigerate, then cook the pasta, stuff the shells and bake when ready. Serve with a salad. See spinach notes at the end. Serve 3-4 shells per person.
1bundleflat leaf kale (lacinato or Italian)For spinach see notes below
2tablespoonsolive oil
1cupfinely chopped onion
2largegarlic clovesfinely chopped
15ouncesRicotta cheese
¾cupfreshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheesedivided use
1largeegg
¼cupchopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1teaspoondried Italian blend herbsor dried basil
¾teaspoonsea salt
¼teaspoonground black pepper
⅛teaspoonfreshly grated nutmegoptional
4cupshomemade pasta sauce or your favorite jarred brand
Instructions
Clean the Kale
Strip the tough center rib from the kale leaves or slice out with a sharp knife. Roll leaves like crosswise like a cigar and slice into thin ribbons. Wash kale and spin dry in a salad spinner or roll into a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.
Cook the Shells and Kale
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Cook the pasta shells according to package directions. Remove the cooked shells to a clean kitchen towel to cool. Bring water back to a boil and add the kale leaves. Cook (blanch) for three minutes. Remove the leaves to a bowl of ice water for 1-2 minutes. When the kale is cold, drain, squeeze dry in paper towels. A salad spinner can help get rid of excess moisture to start. Chop the kale into small pieces and set aside.
Make the Filling
In a medium skillet or saute pan, heat olive oil. Add onion and cook (saute) until its soft and transparent. Add the garlic and cook another 30-60 seconds. Add the chopped kale and cook 2 minutes. Place in a medium bowl and mix in ricotta and ½ cup of the Parmesan, egg and herbs and seasonings until smooth.
Fill Shells and Bake
Place about a 1 cup of the tomato sauce in a 9×13 casserole dish. Place about two tablespoons of filling in each shell. For reference, see the photo in the post. You want the shells to be full but not bursting. Place filled shells on top of the sauce. Top the shells with more sauce. Sprinkle with the last quarter cup of the Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Notes
For gluten-free:Use brown rice pasta gluten-free manicotti shells (Jovial Foods). Fill as many shells as possible with the filling. Freeze any extra or use in an omelet (it's delicious). If you ship the manicotti beware they often break in transit. Better to find in a store or be sure to buy an extra box to cover breakage.You can also buy GF lasagna noodles and make GF lasagna rolls. See the post for more detail.To substitute spinach: Swap 1 package of frozen baby spinach leaves (in a loose package not the block) for the kale. Cook and drain according to the package directions and squeeze dry in paper towels or a clean smooth textured kitchen towel.