Baked Mini Shells
Who doesn't love a cheesy, carb heavy moment?
Last week I put on a real outfit (aka jeans) and treated myself to some takeout because I was just burnt out with cooking. While I enjoyed not having to cook or clean, it wasn't the comfort that I was looking for. When I think of comfort, cheese and carbs are where I go. (Except the Upper Crust Cinnamon Roll is what dreams are made of and I will always be happy with one of those in hand.)
I really wanted to make stuffed shells or manicotti, but the only pasta I had were medium shells and I didn't want to go to the store to get them. Everything else I already had stocked but with 10 ingredients it's definitely an easy trip to the store for curbside pick up or delivery. While I have a lot of reusable masks and the restrictions on going out have loosened here in Texas, I will not be venturing out for quite some time.
I made these delicious shells and enjoyed them with a nice cab sav, and will stay perfectly content in my little bubble of an apartment until the world is safe to return to - not a difficult ask with pasta and wine in front of me.
Baked Mini Shells
Ingredients
1 lb Conchiglie/Medium Shell Pasta
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
16 oz Fresh Baby Spinach or Frozen Spinach, drained
24 oz Mushrooms (I used baby bella and shiitakes), stems removed and finely diced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Medium Yellow Onion, finely diced
1 lb Italian Sausage
32 oz Ricotta
4 oz Sharp Cheddar or Gruyere cheese, cubed and divided
1 tsp Ground Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper
Tools
Cutting Board
Chef's Knife
Sauté Pan
Large Mixing Bowl
9x13 Baking Dish
Instructions
In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta to al dente. Drain the pasta and reserve about a cup of water. Set aside.
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add a few tablespoons of oil cook the spinach until completely wilted all the way down, seasoning as needed with salt and pepper. Transfer to a fine mesh strainer and squeeze all the moisture out. You can even wrap them in a towel and squeeze to get as much liquid out as possible. Chop leaves into small pieces and set aside.
In the same sauté pan, add more oil and the mushroom in batches, cooking down until nicely browned. Remove from heat, add a pinch or two of salt, and set aside.
Back in the pan, add more oil, garlic, and onions. Cook until translucent and soft, just barely browning them. Pour into the same bowl or plate where the mushrooms are.
Finally in the sauté pan, cook the sausage over medium high and try to get a good crust on one side before flipping. Break up the sausage as it cooks to smaller pieces, but not quite as small as taco meat. You'll want it to be able to site nicely in the shells but not completely disappear. Once cooked all the way through, remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, half of the cheddar, spinach, mushrooms, onions, garlic, nutmeg, and salt & pepper to taste. Once thoroughly combined, fold in the sausage and shells and mix well. Transfer the mixture into a 9x13" baking dish and top with the remaining cubes of cheese. Place in oven on a middle rack and bake for 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbling. Place under the broiler for a few minutes for the top to crisp up and melt the cheese.
Let cool for 10 minute before serving.
Happy Eating!