Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Shells

I often feel bad for my husband because I almost never make “heavy” Italian food.  I decided after living together for a year and only making a lasagna *once*, I was going to surprise him when he came home from work with some stuffed shells!  Since I can’t eat ricotta, I ended up making my own lactose free version, and because I never measure and made the entire box of shells, I also made a Mexican version the next night!  Here are my spinach stuffed shells adapted from Eating Well.

Ingredients
16 jumbo pasta shells, (I really filled mine)
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onions, finely chopped
2 pounds fresh organic spinach, trimmed and washed, or two 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
2/3 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
2 cups marinara sauce

After sauteing onions until soft, I added fresh spinach 2 batches at a time to wilt it down.

I then combined the ricotta, nutmeg, bread crumbs, and parmesan.

I then added the spinach mixture and egg white, and combined.

I then covered the bottom of my casserole dish with sauce, and added the stuffed shells.

I topped it with sauce and cheese, and baked them for 30 minutes.

They came out delicious!  Totally jealous..

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook shells in a large pot of boiling water, stirring often, until just tender, about 15 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. If using fresh spinach, add it in batches and toss with tongs until wilted. Drain in a colander, pressing out excess moisture. Let cool. If using thawed frozen, add it to the onions and toss to mix well. Set aside.

Combine ricotta, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan and nutmeg in a bowl; mix well. Add the reserved spinach and season with salt and pepper. Stir in egg white.

Stuff each of the reserved shells with a generous 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture. Spread sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange the stuffed shells in a single layer. Top with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake until the top is golden and the shells are heated through, about 30 minutes. (If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil.) Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.