These garlic and spinach stuffed pasta shells are creamy, cheesy and delicious! A meat-free meal the kids love too.
Stuffing pasta shells is a little messy, but the garlicky spinach and cheese filling makes it completely worth the effort.
I like to tell the kids I’ve magically made ordinary pasta shells bigger with my wooden spoon wand. They probably don’t believe me, but it’s fun when they think you have a few kitchen superpowers.
My mum used to hide sweets around the house and whisper a ‘magic word’ that made them appear. I was always delighted to find treats behind cushions and plant pots, and I never understood why she couldn’t do it all the time.
It’s bank holiday Monday in the UK and the weather’s not too bad—maybe we’ll get a barbecue tonight.
This weekend we were at a festival: The Big Feastival in the Cotswolds. One year I competed in a live cook-off to win a kitchen of Neff appliances. This time I was judging the cook-off, and Gracey helped judge the kids’ competition.
Although it wasn’t as nerve-racking as being a contestant, my heart still raced when I was called on stage. The two finalists, Jess (who teaches cooking for kids and runs Cook It with Kids) and Jane (who blogs as Hedgecombers about smallholding and camper-van cooking) both looked impressively composed despite their nerves.
They were asked to create a one-pot pasta dish inspired by a Mexican-style recipe I made for Neff a few months earlier. Jess chose Greek flavours with orzo, meatballs, feta and olives. Jane went Asian with pappardelle, duck mince, garlic, ginger and peanut butter. Both dishes were excellent.
The audience voted with red and white clappers, and there was no clear winner—so I had to decide. It was a close call, but I picked Jane for those vibrant Asian flavours.
Gracey helped judge the kids’ Young Cook-off the next day. Both entrants did a brilliant job, with Sienna taking the win in the end.
The rest of the festival involved eating a ridiculous amount of food: fresh pasta, wood-fired pizza, waffles with chocolate and ice cream, crispy chicken burgers and ice cream-filled donuts. I also spent time meeting chefs backstage—Cyrus Todiwala, Antonio Carluccio and Nathan Outlaw—and I spotted Jamie Oliver but didn’t chase him for an autograph.
A brilliant weekend overall.
Gracey looking cool with her newly pierced ears!
Now that I’ve shared the highlights of the weekend, here’s the recipe.
The Garlic and Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells Recipe:
Garlic and Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells
Ingredients
- 200 g (7 oz) giant pasta shells
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 80 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 500 ml milk
- 130 g mature cheddar, grated
- 75 g mozzarella, grated
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 fat cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 100 g baby spinach, roughly torn
- 4 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
- 3 sprigs fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F (fan).
- Cook the pasta shells in a large pan of boiling water for 10 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop them sticking together.
- Make the cheese sauce: melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk to form a smooth paste. Gradually add the milk a little at a time, whisking until smooth before adding more. Continue to heat and stir until the sauce thickens.
- Once thickened, stir in all but 3 tbsp of the cheddar, all the mozzarella, half the salt and half the pepper. Stir until the cheeses melt, then remove from the heat.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook gently for about 30 seconds. Add the spinach with the remaining salt and pepper and cook until wilted. Stir the wilted spinach into the cheese sauce.
- Arrange the shells in a large ovenproof serving dish. Carefully fill each shell with the spinach and cheese mixture.
- Sprinkle the panko breadcrumbs and the remaining cheddar over the shells. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and bubbling.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 91 g |
Protein: 44 g |
Fat: 65 g |
Saturated Fat: 36 g |
Cholesterol: 170 mg |
Sodium: 1473 mg |
Fiber: 4 g |
Sugar: 15 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be treated as an estimate.