Northern Italian stuffed shells

[mwolfman]

3 packages frozen, chopped spinach
3 pounds ground round
1 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce_ Ricotta Cheese
1 (16-ounce) grated Mozzarella cheese
2 large onions, chopped
Grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
2 jumbo eggs
1 (1-pound) package jumbo pasta shells
2 cups tomato sauce (your own or ready-made)
Directions

Place frozen spinach in a strainer and run under hot water until thawed. Squeeze all of the water out and place in a large bowl. In a large saute pan, cook the ground round until browned. Drain meat, reserving 2 tablespoons fat in the pan, and place meat in the same bowl with the spinach. Stir in the cream cheese, Ricotta and half the Mozzarella until blended with the meat and spinach. Saute the chopped onions in the reserved meat fat until transparent. Transfer onions to the bowl with the other ingredients and stir to combine. Add grated cheese, salt, and pepper, to taste, and combine. Let mixture cool and then add the eggs. The filling can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook pasta shells in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and cool to the touch. Stuff the shells with the meat mixture. Place shells in a large baking pan and cover with tomato sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 1 hour. Serve.

[HansV]

[Samantha]

Mike, this recipe sounds great, and I think it's going on this weekend's menu at Chez Samantha. But is there a specific reason why you sauté the onions separately, and not while you're browning the ground round?

[mwolfman]

Mike, this recipe sounds great, and I think it's going on this weekend's menu at Chez Samantha. But is there a specific reason why you sauté the onions separately, and not while you're browning the ground round?

I guess you can but its easier to do them separately. You won't under/over cook anything. I always use the same pan I cooked the beef in for the onions, without cleaning it.

[GeoffW]

Is "Itailan" related to Italian in some way?

[Hey Jude]

Is "Itailan" related to Italian in some way?

My shells have tails don't yours? Google "Itailan" and you'll find similarly inviting recipes

The combination of ricotta, cream cheese and spinach make this a shell-in

[ChrisGreaves]

Is "Itailan" related to Italian in some way?

"My Latin is not up to scratch."

[GeoffW]

But do deep sea divers with chicken pox come up to scratch?

[ChrisGreaves]

... pasta shells...

Mike, thanks for this. How did I manage to survive this long without finding out about pasta shells? (Trots off to local grocery store ....)

[Hey Jude]

But do deep sea divers with chicken pox come up to scratch?

They're too busy bending

[LadyWolf]

But do deep sea divers with chicken pox come up to scratch?

They're too busy bending

( though it did make me laugh!)

[Hey Jude]

hehe thanks ROFL