Mega Meat-stuffed Shells

Total Time: 42 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 2
• 1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach
• salt
• 8 jumbo pasta shells
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1 lb ground beef (or meatloaf mix-ground beef, ground lamb, ground veal)
• 3 garlic cloves, two chopped, 1 crushed and halved
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup italian-style breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup grated romano cheese or 1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• basil leaves, torn (a few)

Recipe

• 1 place the frozen spinach on a plate and defrost in the microwave on high for 6 minutes.
• 2 wring the spinach dry in a clean towel.
• 3 while the spinach is in the microwave, preheat the oven to 425° and, in a large covered pot, bring the water to a boil for the shells.
• 4 salt the boiling water and cook the shells for 6-7 minutes; they should still be firm at the center; drain.
• 5 drizzle them with oil and set aside in a shallow baking dish.
• 6 while the pasta is working, brown the meat over medium to med-high heat in 1 tablespoon oil.
• 7 add the chopped garlic and onions to the meat; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg; and cook the mixture for 5 minutes more.
• 8 transfer the meat to a bowl; add the spinach and mix them together.
• 9 add the egg, bread crumbs, and half the cheese and combine.
• 10 fill the shells with the meat mixture and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top, then bake for 11-12 minutes to set the filling in the shells and crisp the pasta at the edges.
• 11 while the shells bake, heat the remaining tablespoon oil in a small pot over low heat with the halved garlic clove and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• 12 remove the garlic, add the red pepper flakes, and cook for a minute more, then stir in the tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
• 13 stir in the basil.
• 14 pour 1/2 cup of sauce on each dinner plate and top it with 4 shells.