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<\/a><\/p>\nHow to make spinach and ricotta stuffed shells<\/h2>\n
There are actually two ways of doing this. The first method<\/strong> being: cooking the shells until al dente before stuffing them with the spinach and ricotta filling, which I have to say is a little more fiddly since the shells are softer. And of course, you need a thicker tomato sauce, otherwise the already cooked pasta soaks up too much liquid. The second method<\/strong> is how I make them for this recipe. The shells are cooked for 5 minutes so that they are still firm (full cooking time is 16 minutes). Then they are stuffed with the filling and baked in a tomato sauce with vegetable broth. Adding the broth to the tomato sauce is what helps cook the noodles while at the same time giving them a little extra flavor boost. This is my preferred method.<\/p>\n I always prefer to make my meals fresh, but if you are squeezed for time and want to do your meal prep ahead of time, I would suggest making the filling ahead of time and then storing it in an airtight container in the fridge. You could even boil the shells, toss with a bit of olive oil before cooling, and then refrigerate them in a covered container too. Then all you have left to do is stuff them and prepare the tomato sauce, which takes all of 30 seconds.<\/p>\n Or you can prepare the filling AND stuff the shells in advance. Though, you’ll want to do so without adding any of the liquid to the baking dish. The pasta will soak it up! Store the stuffed shells covered in the refrigerator overnight and when ready, bring to room temperature, add the liquid and follow the baking instructions. Voila a no hassle dinner! But there are probably some even betters ways for prepping ahead. If you have any tips, let me know in the comments below!<\/p>\nCan these stuffed shells be made ahead of time?<\/h2>\n