Meatless Monday with Baked Shells Casserole
ByWelcome to the blog and thanks for taking the time to stop by on another Meatless Monday. We support this great movement because it promotes green living through choosing eco-friendly meat-free food choices one day per week in support of personal and planetary health. A small sacrifice for a great reward.
On the menu tonight is a baked shells casserole that is a great, easy pasta bake that combines marinara sauce and ricotta cheese so its lighter than a heavy béchamel sauce. This delicious dish comes courtesy of Rachel Ray’s daytime talk show The Rachel Ray Show. The baked shells casserole was one of Rachel’s top ten most downloaded recipes of the 2010— so you know it’s good. Let’s get cooking.
Ingredients
• 5 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped, divided
• 1 large or 2 small to medium onions, finely chopped, divided
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped or grated
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano or marjoram, half a palmful
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1/3 palmful
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed by pressing under flat of your knife
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, 5 to 6 sprigs
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white or red wine
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 28-ounce cans Italian crushed tomatoes
• 1 pound medium or large shell pasta (not extra-large stuffing shells)
• 2 boxes frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung dry in clean towel
• Freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/4 teaspoon
• 2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus some to pass at table
• 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
Preparation
In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add 4 cloves of chopped garlic, 3/4 of finely chopped onion and the carrot. Season with salt, pepper, oregano or marjoram, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds and thyme, and gently sauté 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in parsley, stir, then add wine and reduce a minute. Add stock and tomatoes, bring sauce up to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer sauce 45 minutes. After sauce has been simmering for 30 minutes, preheat oven to 375?F. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt water and cook pasta 5 minutes.
While pasta water comes to a boil, heat remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO in a small skillet over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and onion and sauté to soften, 5 minutes. Add spinach, pulling it apart and separating it as you add it to pan. Stir to combine well and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Turn off heat. Drain undercooked pasta and return it to the hot pot. Add spinach mixture to pot along with ricotta and grated Parm. Stir to combine, adjust salt and pepper then add eggs and stir.
Pour a thin layer of marinara sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish. Fill dish with pasta then top with another thin layer of red sauce. Save remaining sauce to pass at table. Bake 30 minutes until bubbly. Serve casserole directly from casserole dish, passing extra sauce and cheese at the table.
The recipe for baked shells casserole yields four to six servings, and as always can be adjusted as needed. To make this dish healthier by adding more fiber substitute semolina shells for whole-wheat or whole-grain shells. If you are on a gluten free diet, substitute traditional flour pastas for the brown rice variety. Complete the offering with a balsamic or Italian vinaigrette dressed salad. If you try this recipe please let us know how it turned out for, as your feedback is always appreciated.
If you want to learn more about the eco-friendly Meatless Monday movement, you can visit their website at meatlessmonday.com.
Enjoy and our thanks to Rachel Ray.
