Italian Style Stuffed Pasta Shells
A pasta bake dish for all the family with beef mince, baby spinach leaves, garlic, ricotta cheese, pasta sauce, grated nutmeg and grated cheese.
Ingredients
- 375g lean beef mince
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
- 225g fresh baby spinach leaves
- 100g ricotta cheese or reduced fat crème fraîche
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 175g large pasta shells
- 1 x 350g jar prepared Arrabiatta or spicy pasta sauce
- 15g grated Parmesan
- 15g pine nuts, toasted
Method
Cook the pasta shells according to the packet instructions for oven-baked dishes. Drain well.
- Heat a large non-stick pan and dry fry the mince with the garlic for 3-4 minutes until smooth, breaking up any lumps with the back of a spoon.
Add the spinach and seasoning, reduce the heat and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the ricotta or reduced fat crème fraîche, nutmeg and lemon zest.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, 180°C Fan, Gas Mark 6.
Spread the prepared arrabiatta sauce over the base of a medium-sized ovenproof dish. Fill the shells with the beef and spinach mixture and arrange over the sauce.
- Sprinkle over the Parmesan and pine nuts and cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden.
- Serve with a side salad and garlic ciabatta slices.
Why not fill the pasta shells 24 hours in advance; cool and refrigerate then after a long day at work pop into the oven at 200°C, 180°C Fan, Gas mark 6, for 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Each serving provides:
- Energy
- 412kcal
- Fat
- 14.9g
- Saturates
- 5g
- Carbs
- 39.6g
- Sugars
- 6.9g
- Fibre
- 5.6g
- Protein
- 32.6g
- Salt
- 1.8g
