
This one-pan, stovetop recipe turns cheesy stuffed pasta into a weeknight dinner. It was a perfect crowd-pleasing dish to serve on a chilly evening. Jarred marinara is used as a shortcut- enhanced with buttery sautéed garlic and red pepper flakes. Great.
This recipe was adapted from epicurious.com, contributed by Anna Stockwell. I modified the proportions and method, and used dried oregano. I recommend eating it with crusty bread or garlic bread to mop up the sauce.
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
- 20 jumbo pasta shells (about 6 to 6.5 oz)
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 to 10 oz crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth (I used Pinot Grigio)
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 6 to 9 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 T unsalted butter
- 24 to 28 oz jarred marinara sauce (I used 28 oz Rao’s Marinara)
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups (15 to 16 oz) whole-milk ricotta
- 3 oz finely grated Parmesan (about 1 cup), plus more for serving (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
- 2 T finely chopped fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried oregano
- fresh parsley or oregano, chopped, for garnish, optional
- crusty bread or garlic bread for serving, optional
- Cook shells in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 9 minutes; drain. Run under cold water to stop the cooking; drain again. (I cooked 22 shells just to be safe but only used 20.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet (with a lid) over medium-high. (I used a large, wide enameled cast iron pan.)
- Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they release juices, then are dry again and nicely browned, 5–10 minutes; season with black pepper and 1/2 tsp salt.
- Reduce heat to medium, add wine, and cook, stirring, until reduced by half, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add spinach, stir, cover, and cook until beginning to wilt, 1–2 minutes.
- Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is completely wilted and most of the liquid is evaporated, 2–4 minutes more. Transfer mushroom mixture to a large bowl; reserve skillet.
- Add ricotta, Parmesan, 2 T fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried oregano, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt to mushroom mixture and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, to taste.
- Spoon about 2 T ricotta mixture into each shell. The shell should be filled to capacity but not overstuffed. (I used a cookie scoop to ration the filling.)
- Cook garlic and butter in reserved skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is fragrant and beginning to brown, 2–3 minutes.
- Add marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, 6–8 minutes.
- Nestle stuffed shells into hot sauce in skillet.
- Cover and cook over medium-low heat until shells are warmed through, 5–6 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley or oregano. Serve with crusty bread or garlic bread, as desired.
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Posted in Casserole, Greens, Pasta, Quick, Recipes, Vegetarian
Tags: casserole, cremini mushrooms, dinner, easy, Italian, mushrooms, one pan, Parmigiano Reggiano, pasta, ricotta, shells, skillet, spinach, stovetop, stuffed shells, vegetarian
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This easy and creamy vegetarian stovetop lasagna was very well received by my family. 😉 The original recipe said that it wasn’t as pretty as a typical baked and layered lasagna, but I thought that it looked pretty appealing.
The recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Sarah Jampel. I increased the amount of mushrooms and garlic. I also used no-boil lasagna noodles. It is a perfect weeknight dish.
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
- 5 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 12 to 16 oz mixed mushrooms (such as maitake, oyster, shiitake, and/or crimini), trimmed, cut or torn into 1″ pieces (I used stemmed & quartered cremini mushrooms)
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 T thyme leaves
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 3 to 6 garlic cloves, finely grated or chopped
- 2 T all-purpose flour
- 2 3/4 cups whole milk
- freshly ground black pepper
- lemon zest, plus wedges for serving, optional
- 1/3 cup crème fraîche or thinned sour cream
- 8 to 9 oz regular lasagna noodles, broken in half (no-boil okay)
- 4 to 5 oz mozzarella, thinly sliced
- finely grated Parmesan, for serving
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large high-sided ovenproof skillet (preferably with a lid) or small Dutch oven over medium-high. (I used a large, wide enameled cast iron pot.)
- Add mushrooms and cook, undisturbed, until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 5–7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; mix in thyme.
- Meanwhile, finely chop the shallot and garlic cloves in the bowl of a mini food processor.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 1 minute.
- Sprinkle flour over and cook, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute.
- Add milk, pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 3/4 cups water, then finely grate zest of 1/4 lemon into pan. Stir to dissolve flour, increase heat to medium, and cook until gently bubbling.
- Reduce heat to low, whisk in crème fraîche (or sour cream), and stir to combine.
- Add about one third of noodles, pushing down into sauce to submerge, followed by a third of the mushrooms.
- Repeat with half of remaining noodles and mushrooms.
- Top with another layer of noodles. **Set remaining mushrooms aside.**
- Cover with a lid or foil and cook 15 minutes. (If lasagna threatens to boil over, use very lowest heat and/or prop open the cover.)
- Uncover; cook, gently lifting and separating noodles occasionally with tongs or a spatula to let sauce flow around, until sauce is thickened and noodles are cooked through, 6–10 minutes. Mixture should be bubbling gently; adjust heat as necessary. Remove from heat.
- Heat broiler. Top lasagna with mozzarella and reserved mushrooms.
- Broil until cheese is bubbling and browned in spots, about 2 minutes.
- Finely grate more lemon zest over. Sprinkle with Parmesan; season with pepper.
- Let sit 5–10 minutes. Cut lemon into wedges, if desired, and serve with lasagna.

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Posted in Casserole, Pasta, Quick, Recipes, Vegetarian
Tags: creme fraiche, cremini, dinner, easy, Italian, lasagna, maitake, mozzarella, mushroom, oyster, parmesan, pasta, shallots, shiitake, skillet, stovetop, thyme, vegetarian, weeknight, wild
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