When I need a quick and easy dinner, I often turn to pasta. It’s a crowd pleaser at my house, it’s a great way to enjoy a load of vegetables with cheese, and it really is so darn easy. Best of all, I always think pasta feels a little bit fancy in spite of its simple preparation – peanut butter sandwiches are also quick, but nobody gets excited about a PBJ sandwich for dinner the way they do about pasta!
The secret to great pasta, I have found, is in the sauce. I like to make my own pasta sauces because hardly anything can compare to homemade. It’s tricky, however, to make a great tomato based pasta sauce without a good batch of tomatoes. When it’s not tomato season, and when I’m in a hurry, I have to rely on sauce from a jar.
I recently tried the pasta sauce from Moni’s Natural and I was really impressed! The sauce is made from fresh, natural ingredients, which can be hard to come by at the grocery store these days, and it has a truly homemade taste. I am a big fan! (I wasn’t paid to say this – I just really like the sauce).
To accompany these Spinach and Feta Stuffed Shells, I used Moni’s Natural Garlic and Basil Marinara Sauce, which was absolutely delicious. The feta adds an extra kick of flavor to the shells, and all the spinach helps me feel good about eating so much cheese! Try this the next time you need an easy, but impressive meal for the family – it’s been a big hit at my house.
Spinach and Feta Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
24 jumbo pasta shells
1 1/2 cups ricotta
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
3/4 cup crumbled feta
2 cups finely chopped fresh spinach
1 large egg, lightly beaten
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
24 oz jar of Moni’s Natural Garlic and Basil Marinara, or spaghetti sauce of your choice
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Cook pasta shells according to package instructions. Allow shells to cool before handling.
In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 3/4 cup mozzarella, feta, spinach, and egg. Stir in Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
Spread 2/3 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of casserole dish. Stuff each cooked shell with the spinach cheese mixture and place in casserole dish. When all of the shells have been stuffed, drizzle the remaining spaghetti sauce over the top of the shells and sprinkle with 3/4 cup mozzarella. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes, or until bubbly. Remove foil and bake for 8 to 10 more minutes, or until cheese is browned. Cool slightly before serving.
(I received products to test from Moni’s Natural, but all opinions are entirely my own.)
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