Best 8 Baked Shells With Fresh Spinach And Pancetta Recipes

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Baked shells with fresh spinach and pancetta is a classic Italian dish that combines the rich flavors of spinach, pancetta, and cheese. It's a hearty and satisfying meal that's perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion. Whether you're a seasoned cook or just starting out, this recipe will help you create a delicious and memorable meal that your family and friends will love.

Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!

SHELLS WITH CRISPY PANCETTA AND SPINACH



Shells with Crispy Pancetta and Spinach image

Provided by Giada De Laurentiis

Categories     main-dish

Time 50m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 (12-ounce) package jumbo shells pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound thick-cut pancetta, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 pounds frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta
1 cup grated asiago cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup cream
2 cups grated asiago cheese, plus 1/4 cup
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • For the shells:
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
  • Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl. Add the spinach, ricotta cheese, asiago cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Stuff the shells with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture each and place the stuffed shells in a large, buttered baking dish.
  • For the sauce:
  • Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to very low and add the 2 cups asiago cheese, parsley, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is dissolved. Pour the sauce over the shells. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup asiago cheese. Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

BAKED SHELLS WITH FRESH SPINACH AND PANCETTA



Baked Shells With Fresh Spinach and Pancetta image

This is a prepare-ahead one-dish pasta dinner based on a recipe by Nancy Verde Barr in the January 1993 issue of Food & Wine magazine. You may use prosciutto in place of the pancetta.

Provided by mersaydees

Categories     One Dish Meal

Time 1h

Yield 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 8

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup tomato puree
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated (2 ounces)
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1/3 lb pancetta or 1/3 lb prosciutto, finely diced
1 lb fresh spinach, rinsed and stemmed, leaves torn
1 lb medium pasta shell

Steps:

  • In a heavy medium nonreactive saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the heavy cream and tomato puree and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer until reduced to 2 1/4 cups, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
  • In a large skillet, cook the pancetta in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat until slightly crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the spinach in batches and cook, tossing, until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the pasta shells in a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water until barely al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.
  • Toss the pasta with the creamy tomato sauce and the spinach. Spoon it into a 3-quart shallow buttered baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on top and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until piping hot.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 684.8, Fat 40.9, SaturatedFat 24.8, Cholesterol 136.4, Sodium 228.1, Carbohydrate 63.9, Fiber 4.5, Sugar 2.8, Protein 17.3

BAKED SHELLS



Baked Shells image

Provided by Rachael Ray : Food Network

Time 1h

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Salt
1 pound medium or large shell pasta (not stuffing shells)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry in a clean kitchen towel
Freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 (28-ounce) can Italian tomatoes
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves, 10 to 12 leaves
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 pound ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch dice

Steps:

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Salt the water, add the shells and cook for 2 to 3 minutes less than the package directions. Heads up: Remove and reserve 1 cup of cooking water just before draining.
  • Meanwhile, heat a medium-sized pot or high-sided skillet over medium heat with the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the spinach, pulling it apart as you add it, and season with a little freshly grated nutmeg and salt, and pepper, to taste. When the spinach mixture is warmed through, transfer it to a small dish and reserve. Return the pot to the heat, add the butter and let it melt. Stir in the tomatoes and break them up with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, add the basil leaves, and cook to thicken the sauce, about 7 to 8 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Drain the pasta and return it to the hot pot. To the pasta, add the spinach, reserved pasta cooking water, ricotta cheese, and half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Adjust the salt and pepper, to taste, and transfer it to a baking dish. Top the pasta mixture with the tomato sauce, mozzarella, and remaining Parmigiano. Bake until the cheeses are melted and bubbly, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the shells from the oven and serve.

SPINACH AND CHEESE STUFFED PASTA SHELLS



Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells image

Magnificent jumbo pasta shells stuffed to bursting with cheesy spinach filling.

Provided by KITKATY

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Italian

Time 1h20m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 9

32 jumbo pasta shells
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fennel seed
2 teaspoons dried basil
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
3 ½ cups spaghetti sauce

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, gently place pasta shells in boiling water; bring water back to boil. Cook until noodles are just tender; drain well.
  • Squeeze spinach dry. Combine spinach, ricotta, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, fennel, basil and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper; mix well.
  • Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  • Fill each pasta shell with the spinach cheese mixture. Arrange the shells, filling side up in the baking dish. Spoon remaining marinara sauce over the shells. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top of the shells.
  • Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven until heated through; about 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 702.9 calories, Carbohydrate 94.9 g, Cholesterol 59.4 mg, Fat 21.3 g, Fiber 10.2 g, Protein 33 g, SaturatedFat 11 g, Sodium 1004 mg, Sugar 15.7 g

SPINACH WITH PANCETTA



Spinach With Pancetta image

Provided by Craig Claiborne And Pierre Franey

Categories     side dish

Time 25m

Yield Four servings

Number Of Ingredients 6

1 1/4 pounds spinach in bulk or 3/4 pound spinach packaged in plastic
2/3 cup (about 1/4 pound) small cubes of pancetta, unsmoked Italian bacon, available in Italian food shops, or use smoked lean bacon
1 small red onion, peeled
Salt to taste, if desired
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Steps:

  • Rinse the spinach well and drain it. Remove tough stems, center membranes and blemished leaves. There should be about 10 cups reasonably well-packed. Break the spinach into two-inch pieces
  • Heat the pancetta in a skillet and cook until rendered of fat.
  • Cut the onion into quarters. Cut each quarter crosswise into the thinnest possible slices. Add the onion pieces to the pancetta in the skillet. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until it is wilted. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice and cook about one minute. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 120, UnsaturatedFat 5 grams, Carbohydrate 7 grams, Fat 8 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 7 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 418 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams, TransFat 0 grams

STUFFED SHELLS WITH CRISPY PANCETTA AND SPINACH



Stuffed Shells With Crispy Pancetta and Spinach image

i love the asiago cream sauce! you could also use a red sauce. if pancetta is hard to find or you're on a budget, use bacon!! another giada recipe! i tweaked it quite a bit.

Provided by KPD123

Categories     Pasta Shells

Time 50m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 17

0.5 (12 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells (about 16 shells)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 lb thick-cut pancetta, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
5 ounces chopped spinach (frozen, thawed and drained)
1/4 cup minced red onion
3 minced garlic cloves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
8 ounces ricotta cheese
1 cup grated asiago cheese
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup cream
2 cups grated asiago cheese, plus 1/4 cup
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • For the shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and allow to cool before stuffing.
  • Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl.
  • Add the spinach, onion, garlic, parsley, ricotta cheese, asiago cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine.
  • Stuff the shells with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture each and place the stuffed shells in a large, buttered baking dish.
  • For the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the cream and bring to a simmer.
  • Turn the heat to very low and add the 2 cups asiago cheese, parsley, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is dissolved.
  • Pour the sauce over the shells. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup asiago cheese.
  • Bake, covered, until golden on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

BAKED SHELLS WITH FRESH SPINACH AND PANCETTA



BAKED SHELLS WITH FRESH SPINACH AND PANCETTA image

Categories     Pasta     Dinner

Yield 1 6-8 people

Number Of Ingredients 8

4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 c heavy cream
1/2 c tomato puree
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese ( 2 oz)
salt and pepper
1/3 lb finely diced pancetta and prosciutto
1 lb fresh spinach
1 lb medium pasta shells

Steps:

  • 1. In a large medium saucepan, melt 2 tbsp butter. Add the heavy cream and tomato puree and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer until reduced to 2 1/4 cups, about 15 minutes. Remove from the hear and stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. 2. In a large skillet, cook the pancetta in the remaining 2 tbsp butter over moderately high heat until slightly crisp. Add the spinach in batches and cook, tossing, until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Preheat the oven to 350F. Cook the pasta shells in a large pot of boiling water until barely al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain. 4. Toss the pasta with the creamy tomato sauce and spinach. Spoon it into a 3 qt shallow baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

SAUTEED SPINACH WITH CRISP PANCETTA



Sauteed Spinach with Crisp Pancetta image

Tender spinach tastes even better when topped with crumbled pancetta.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Ingredients     Meat & Poultry     Pork Recipes

Time 20m

Number Of Ingredients 4

6 thin slices pancetta or 2 slices bacon, chopped
3 bunches flat-leaf spinach (about 2 1/2 pounds total), trimmed
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Steps:

  • Heat a large skillet over medium. Add pancetta; cook until crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to a paper-towel-lined plate; reserve fat in skillet.
  • Add as much spinach as will fit in skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing spinach and adding more as it wilts. Continue to cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and pour off excess liquid; stir in lemon juice. Top with pancetta.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 122 g, Fat 7 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 12 g

Tips:

  • Choose large pasta shells that can hold a generous amount of filling.
  • Cook the pasta shells al dente according to the package instructions. This will prevent them from becoming mushy when baked.
  • Use fresh spinach for the best flavor. If using frozen spinach, thaw it and squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible before using.
  • Pancetta adds a salty, smoky flavor to the dish. If you don't have pancetta, you can substitute bacon or prosciutto.
  • Use a variety of cheeses in the filling for a more complex flavor. Parmesan, ricotta, and mozzarella are all good choices.
  • Season the filling generously with salt and pepper. This will help to bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.
  • Bake the shells until they are heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbly. This will usually take about 20 minutes.
  • Serve the shells immediately, topped with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Conclusion:

Baked shells with fresh spinach and pancetta is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal or a special occasion. The pasta shells are filled with a creamy spinach and cheese filling and then baked until golden brown. The pancetta adds a salty, smoky flavor to the dish that complements the spinach and cheese perfectly. This dish is sure to be a hit with everyone at your table.

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