Want a tasty dinner that’s easy and can be prepared in advance? I’ve got a good one for you.

These shells are fantastic, and I’m serious about how easy it is to make them. The great thing about many of my recipes is that they’re forgiving… You don’t have to have the perfect amount of anything. I like creating my own recipes for two reasons: (1) I can make it taste the way I like it, and (2) it doesn’t require exact measurements. That’s the way it should be… When you’re a mom (working or not), who has time to measure each ingredient perfectly? Not me. I’m all about shortcuts when it comes to cooking.

What you need:
1 box jumbo pasta shells
1 large container of whole ricotta cheese
1 heaping cup shredded parmesan cheese (plus another small handful)
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 heaping tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 heaping tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 (smallest) box of frozen chopped spinach – optional
1 tbsp minced garlic
few shakes of dried minced onions
1 heaping tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/2 jars of spaghetti sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil water in a large pot. Add a splash of oil and a pinch of salt to the water. You will cook the shells for about 7-8 minutes… Check and see how firm they are. You want it to be about one level above al dente. You are going to cook the shells in the oven, so it’s important that they are slightly firm when you bite into one.

As you wait for the water to boil, put the ricotta cheese in a medium sized bowl.

*A note about egg yolks: If you don’t have an egg separator (I don’t) and have never done this before, all you need to do is crack the egg in half, and move the egg back and forth between the two cracked shells. Make sure you have a bowl under the eggs. The egg white will fall into the bowl, but the egg yolk will stay in the shell.

To the ricotta, add 1 egg, 2 egg yolks,

1 heaping cup plus another handful of shredded parmesan,

1 heaping tbsp fresh basil,

2 heaping tbsp fresh parsley, 2 scant tsp salt, and about 1/2 tsp pepper.

If your family is into spinach, now is the time to add it. If you’re not a big fan, you can leave it out. It tastes great either way. If you add it, make sure you thaw the frozen spinach, and squeeze out all of the excess liquid. I squeeze it with my hands first, wrap it in a paper towel, then squeeze again. We like spinach, but I don’t like when there’s too much spinach. I use about 1/2 to 2/3 of a small package of frozen chopped spinach. If you want, you can use the whole box. Make sure the ricotta mixture is mixed thoroughly.

When the shells are ready, drain the water. While you wait for them to cool, drizzle some olive oil into a pan on medium heat. Put 1 tbsp of minced garlic, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, and a few shakes of dried minced onion into the pan. Let it cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often. Then, add about 1 1/2 jars of spaghetti sauce, and put the lid on the pan. (I usually use Classico since that’s what they sell at Costco. I love that place!) Let it simmer. When it’s heated through, take several spoonfuls of sauce and spread it into a 9×13 glass dish. Put the leftover shells into a smaller baking dish. (Or, instead of a 9×13 dish, split it into two smaller glass dishes.)

Fill each shell with a big spoonful of the ricotta mixture. Another alternative is to put the ricotta mixture in a ziplock bag. Cut the end, and pipe it into each shell. (Are you getting hungry yet? I am!) Don’t pack it in too much; Just fill each shell enough.

Place the shells in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the rest of the sauce on top of the shells. Then, top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 35-45 minutes until heated through, bubbly, and cheese is slightly browned.

My family was so ready to eat the shells that I forgot to take a picture of the finished product! That gives you an idea of how much we like it. Hope you do too!