Filled Shell Pasta with Spinach

Ingredients

• 400 g shell pasta (or Conchiglioni)
• Salt
• 300 g fresh leaf spinach
• 1 Shallot
• 1 Garlic clove
• olive oil
• 1 egg
• 150 g ricotta
• 4 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
• Pepper
• nutmeg
• 500 g diced canned tomatoes
• 1 tsp Dried oregano

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C (fan‑forced 180 °C; gas: level 3).

2. 2.

   Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water according to the package instructions until al dente, then drain, rinse with cold water and let it dry well.

3. 3.

   Wash, trim and clean the spinach, then blanch it in boiling salted water until wilted. Drain, cool, squeeze out excess liquid and chop finely. Peel and finely mince the shallot and garlic. In a pan over medium heat, sauté them with 1 tbsp oil until translucent. Remove from heat and let cool. Mix in the egg, ricotta, Parmesan and spinach; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

4. 4.

   Puree the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, add oregano, and pour into a baking dish. Fill the pasta shells with the spinach mixture, press them gently together and place them in the dish. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes.

5. 5.

   Remove the filled shell pasta from the oven and serve with a tomato‑arugula salad if desired.