These cheesy spinach stuffed shells are truly unique!
I have another family recipe, for you guys, today! This one is from Trevor’s mom’s family. I’m not sure who exactly it comes from, so let me just say “thank you!” to all the Debes ladies… I call them “the sister’s”. Trevor’s mom has two sisters and when the three of them get together, it’s just a riot! They’re so funny, and sweet, and have deemed themselves the Queen’s of Grammar. Along with their fabulous grammar, they have some pretty great recipes! You all remember the best ever sausage stuffing and their easy chocolate fudge, and today, I’m sharing their Healthy Cheesy Spinach Stuffed Shells – originally called Summer Shells.
I first had this recipe this past summer in Wisconsin. Trevor, Teddy, and I drove all the way to Wisconsin from Seattle. Without stopping, the trip takes about 27 hours. Trevor’s a beast at road trips, so we made it there in about 30! I’d do it a second time in a heartbeat, because the drive is absolutely gorgeous, but then again, I wasn’t the one driving 😉
We met Trevor’s mom and our friend’s, the Conroy’s for a weekend at the lake house for a little relaxation before Trevor and I got married in September. We had a blast! The week was full of Teddy swimming, drinking mimosas down at the dock as the sun rose, mini golf, and amazing food!
The Conroy’s are vegetarian, so the amazing food was all vegetarian! We had a ton of great salads, I had my first boca burger, and Trevor’s mom made these cheesy spinach stuffed shells.
While these stuffed shells aren’t the healthiest thing in the world because of the alfredoey goodness, they’re made slightly better with the spinach, wheat germ, and pecans!
Start by pre-boiling your jumbo shells in a large pot of boiling salted water. You only need to cook them for about 9 minutes. They’ll finish cooking in the oven, later. After the 9 minutes, take them out and drain them face down on a paper towel. You don’t want an excess water in the shell!
While the noodles are cooking, work on your filling. Cook some frozen spinach in the microwave until it’s no longer frozen. I’d recommend following the directions on the box, but don’t add in any water. Once the spinach is cooked, add to the spinach, wheat germ, parmesan cheese, Mexican shredded cheese (the original recipe called for cheddar), chopped pecans, and finely diced green onions. Mix until combined. Add in salt, a touch of pepper, and dried basil, to taste. I used about 1/4 teaspoon of dried basil, but feel free to use as much as you like. The sisters also suggest adding nutmeg, to taste, if you like!
Once the mixture is seasoned to your liking, add in two eggs and water and mix again until the eggs have been fully incorporated!
Now stuff the mixture into each of the shells. You should have enough of the spinach filling to make about 16 – 20 shells. Set these aside.
Take an 8 x 8 pan (you could also use a 9 x 13) and grease it with cooking spray. Now spread alfredo sauce on the bottom, you’ll use about 1/2 of a jar. Spread spaghetti sauce on top of that. Use a spatula to spread it evenly on the bottom of the pan. Top the sauces with the shells. Use the remaining sauce to top the shells.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven, uncovered, for about 30 – 35 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and serve!
These cheesy spinach stuffed shells are truly unique! I love the health benefits of adding wheat germ and it really doesn’t effect the flavor, if you ask me. I also love that it’s packed with spinach. Then to offset all the health benefits, you really can’t go wrong with cheese and alfredo sauce. 😉 The pecans add a really pleasant and unexpected crunch to give the dish a little texture!
These cheesy spinach stuffed shells make a tasty weeknight meal. They’re simple and quick to put together and this recipe can easily be doubled so it’ll last you all week!
– Jennifer
What’s your favorite filling for stuffed shells? Show me the yummy!
Cheesy Spinach Stuffed Shells
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 16 - 20 jumbo pasta shells
- 1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach cooked according to directions omitting the additional water, 10 oz
- ½ cup wheat germ
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ½ cup pecans chopped
- 1 cup shredded mexican or cheddar cheese
- 2 Green onions finely diced
- salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 (16 oz) jar alfredo sauce
- 1 (28 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
Instructions
- Start by pre-boiling your jumbo shells in a large pot of boiling salted water. You only need to cook them for about 9 minutes. They'll finish cooking in the oven, later. After the 9 minutes, take them out and drain them face down on a paper towel. You don't want an excess water in the shell!
- While the noodles are cooking, work on your filling. Cook some frozen spinach in the microwave until it's no longer frozen. I'd recommend following the directions on the box, but don't add in any water. Once the spinach is cooked, add to the spinach, wheat germ, parmesan cheese, Mexican (the original recipe called for cheddar) shredded cheese, chopped pecans, and finely diced green onions. Mix until combined. Add in salt, a touch of pepper, and dried basil, to taste. I used about 1/4 teaspoon of dried basil, but feel free to use as much as you like. The sisters also suggest adding nutmeg, to taste, if you like!
- Once the mixture is seasoned to your liking, add in two eggs and water and mix again until the eggs have been fully incorporated!
- Now stuff the mixture into each of the shells. You should have enough of the spinach filling to make about 16 - 20 shells. Set these aside.
- Take an 8 x 8 pan (you could also use a 9 x 13) and grease it with cooking spray. Now spread alfredo sauce on the bottom, you'll use about 1/2 of a jar. Spread spaghetti sauce on top of that. Use a spatula to spread it evenly on the bottom of the pan. Top the sauces with the shells. Use the remaining sauce to top the shells.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven, uncovered, for about 30 - 35 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and serve!
- Take 5 seconds to either rate this recipe below and/or PIN it. We greatly appreciate it!
Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Anonymous