Slow Cooker Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells
Serve with a salad and slices of Italian bread.
Serves: 6Hands-on: 30 minutesTotal: 6 hours 30 minutesDifficulty: Medium
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 4 cups marinara sauce, divided
- 30 jumbo pasta shells
- 1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
- 1 container (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
- 2⁄3 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
- 1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 1⁄2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1⁄4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1⁄4 tsp. ground black pepper
Directions
- Spread 1⁄2 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker. Set aside.
- Cook shells in boiling salted water for 4 minutes (shells will not be fully cooked). Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine spinach, ricotta, bread crumbs, Parmesan, 2 cups of the mozzarella, egg, nutmeg, and black pepper. Stuff each pasta shell with 2 heaping tablespoons of the spinach-cheese mixture. Place a layer of stuffed shells in the prepared slow cooker. Spoon a little sauce over each shell, then continue to layer in the shells until all are in the cooker. Spoon the remaining sauce evenly over the top layer of shells.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella before serving.