1 tablespoon olive oil
1 10 oz. pkg frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 to 3/4 pound baby portobello mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 to 1 medium onion, finely chopped (to taste)
1-3 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded Italian blend cheese (I used one with 5 cheeses, thus giving me a total of 7)
1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning* (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 jar (24 ounces) Classico Florentine Spinach and Cheese sauce**
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Cook shells according to package directions for al dente; drain and rinse in cold water. (I lightly tossed them with some olive oil after draining to prevent them from sticking together. I did not rinse)
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until mostly tender then add the mushrooms and continue cooking until mushrooms are still slightly firm. Adding the spinach the last few minutes; just to warm through and separate the squeezed spinach. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly; otherwise you will start to cook the egg and melt the cheeses when combining.
- In a bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, provolone and Romano cheeses; stir in egg, seasonings* and vegetables.
- Spread 1 cup sauce into a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Fill pasta shells with cheese mixture; place in baking dish. Top with remaining sauce.** Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake, covered, 40 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 servings.
* I used fresh basil, oregano, savory, thyme & rosemary (which I cooked in the sauce with some added parmesan cheese and extra spinach (I had a large bag of spinach)
** I also doubled the sauce. It just seemed a bit skimpy, but you really want the cheeses and mushrooms to shine so don't be too heavy handed with the sauce.