Cheesy Stuffed Shells
You will need:
(For the tomato sauce)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 can chopped tomatoes (28 oz.)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
(For the Pasta)
- 1 large bunch spinach (blanched, squeezed and drained well on a paper towel, then chopped)
- 1 and 1/2 lbs. fresh ricotta
- 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Extra-large pasta shells, cooked and drained
- Extra 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Do our amazing little chefs have everything? Excellent!
To make the tomato sauce:
- Have your child put the garlic, onion, tomatoes, sugar, basil, seasonings and balsamic vinegar into a large saucepan.
- Turn on the heat to medium.
- Allow it to simmer for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes have collapsed and the sauce has started to thicken.
- Let it cool down for a few minutes and with your child, (oven mits on) pour it into the base of a large baking dish.
To make the pasta:
- Little chefs, combine the spinach, Parmesan, parsley, dill, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper into a large bowl.
- Mix well.
- Spoon mixture into pasta shells.
- Have your child place the filled shells into the baking dish of pasta sauce, side by side.
- Sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cooked and golden.
- Serve!
And there we have a delicious meal that any pasta eating child would love. Since they helped make it, they will eat it over and over again. I hope you all enjoyed it. Thank you all for spending the week with me and I hope to see you all soon. Great job little chefs! Good night!
