Roasted Vegetable and Fontina Stuffed Shells with Fire Roasted Marinara
User Reviews
5
-
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
-
Servings
6
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
Italian
Roasted Vegetable and Fontina Stuffed Shells with Fire Roasted Marinara
Description
Roasted Vegetable and Fontina Stuffed Shells with Fire Roasted Marinara features jumbo pasta shells filled with a vegetable and cheese mixture. Vegetables including sweet onions, butternut squash, mushrooms, spinach, and garlic are sautéed until tender and combined with ricotta, fontina, and egg to form the filling. The shells are cooked according to package instructions before stuffing.
The accompanying quick fire-roasted marinara sauce blends fire-roasted diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, butter, and fresh basil, simmered to a rich consistency. This sauce adds a roasted depth and a lightly buttery flavor that complements the mild, creamy filling and soft pasta shells. Baking the stuffed shells marries the components with melted cheese and a gentle browning.
The dish yields a comforting baked pasta best served warm as a main course. Fresh oregano and basil garnish enhance the flavor just before serving. This recipe is well-suited to those who enjoy vegetable-forward dishes with melted cheeses and a roasted tomato base.
Ingredients
quick fire roasted marinara
- 2 fire-roasted diced tomatoes 14-ounce cans
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 2 tablespoons basil chopped, fresh
stuffed shells
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 sweet onion sliced
- 1/2 cup butternut squash 1/2-1 inch cubes, cubes
- 12 ounce mushrooms chopped
- 8 ounces spinach chopped (I just run my knife through it once or twice, fresh
- 3 garlic minced, cloves
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese made with whole milk
- 8 ounces fontina cheese freshly grated
- 1 egg lightly beaten, large
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 12 ounces jumbo pasta shells cooked according to directions
- basil fresh, to garnish
- oregano fresh, to garnish
Instructions
quick fire roasted marinara
- Add the tomatoes, paste, garlic and butter together in a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. Stir to combine, then cover and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the diced tomatoes have broken down. Stir in the basil.
stuffed shells
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking dish (I used a 9x9 but you can also do a 9x13, this should make enough shells and filling) with nonstick spray.
- Heat a large skillet over low heat and melt the butter. Once melted, stir in the onions, squash and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onions are caramely and golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and cook until they are soft and juice, about 6 minutes. Stir in the spinach and garlic, cooking until the spinach wilts.
- In a bowl, stir together the ricotta and almost all of the fontina, reserving some for the top. Stir in the beaten egg. Add in the salt and pepper. Fold in the cooked vegetables until combined.
- Spoon 1/2 cup of marinara in the bottom of the baking dish. Take the cooked pasta shells and fill them with the cheesy vegetable mixture and place them in the baking dish. Cover them with all of the marinara and the remaining fontina cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden and bubbly.
- Top with fresh oregano and basil to serve.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
