Vegetarian Stuffed Shells with a Spicy Homemade Tomato Sauce

We have been on a pasta kick around here so I wanted to share this recipe for Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Shells! This recipe is made with a quick, homemade tomato sauce that I spiced up with new Red Gold Tomato Love diced tomatoes. The subtle spice from the green chilies gives this dish an extra layer of flavor that keeps you going back for more!

This tomato sauce recipe is simple to put together, and because it’s made using high quality tomatoes from Red Gold I feel really great about serving this to my family and friends.

I kept the filling vegetarian with chopped spinach and mushrooms (no egg in this recipe!) and the combination worked out perfectly. If you’d like to add a protein my suggestion is crumbled Italian sausage. The spices in Italian sausage will pair nicely with the fennel that is in the sauce!

Method and Notes

To put these stuffed shells together I chop the mushrooms and get those going first. They should brown on medium to high heat in about 5 minutes. Add the chopped spinach and seasonings and then mix the vegetables with the cheeses.

Start the sauce in the same skillet as the mushrooms. While the sauce simmers fill the shells. I made a note in the recipe that the sauce can be prepared in a food processor. I recommend going this route if you want to save yourself some time and effort from chopping the onion and the basil. Blending the ingredients in a food processor first does give a different consistency to the tomato sauce, but it tastes just as great! I actually used the blended version for my photos :).

While the mushrooms are cooking I start the shells and boil those just until al dente. Keep an eye on these because if they overcook they will start to break making it tough to get them filled.

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Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Shells

Vegetarian stuffed shells made with a homemade spicy tomato sauce.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 12 oz. Jumbo pasta shells
• 15 oz. Whole milk ricotta
• 1.5 cups Shredded mozzarella
• 8 oz. Cremini (baby bella) mushrooms chopped
• 3 cups Baby spinach chopped
• 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

• 2 10 oz. Cans Tomato Love Mild
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1/2 Large onion rough chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp Ground fennel seed
• 1 tsp Salt
• handful of basil + more for serving

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add chopped mushrooms and cook until brown. Remove from heat. Add chopped spinach, Italian seasoning, and lemon juice. Mix together with ricotta and 1.5 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
• Boil pasta shells al dente (2 minutes less than package directions). Drain and let cool then fill each shell with cheese filling.
• Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy bottom pan. When hot add chopped onion, Tomato Love diced tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, chopped basil and salt. Cook partially covered on medium-low heat for about 25 minutes until the tomato sauce is reduced and thickened.
• Line the bottom of an oven safe 9 x 13 inch casserole dish with tomato sauce. Place filled shells on top. Dollop any remaining sauce over shells and top with ½ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake covered for 20 minutes then uncovered for another 5-7 minutes until the cheese is melted and is golden brown. Garnish with chopped fresh basil.

Notes

For a smoother sauce place tomato sauce in a food processor and pulse until desired consistency is reached.

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! Remember to share your photos on Instagram and tag @momunderpressure on Instagram.

This post is sponsored by The Feed Feed and Red Gold Tomatoes.