Baked Shells with a Spinach and Meat Sauce

My husband spent most of the day today working outside, and by the time six o' clock came around, he was "starving". So I needed to fix something hearty and fairly healthy--fast! I ended up fixing some spinach and meat stuffed shells and served it with a side salad and some quick toasted bread.

The ingredients:



1/2 white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef or ground chuck
1 bag spinach
3 small cans tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1 teaspoon basil
2 teaspoons Italian herbs
Red pepper flakes, to taste (not pictured)
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Grated Romano cheese (not pictured)

To start, preheat your oven to 400, then cook your pasta to al dente, for about 10 minutes. Then cut up your onion and garlic.

Saute your onion in a bit of olive oil on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Then add your garlic and continue to cook for a few more minutes, until onions are semi-translucent. 

Remove your onions and garlic and set aside. Then saute your spinach in a tiny bit of olive oil, stirring frequently, until it is just wilted. I cooked mine in three batches to make sure I didn't overcook any of it.

Drain your spinach and chop up in smaller pieces, then set aside with the onion and garlic. Cook your hamburger meat in the pan, breaking it up into little pieces.

After cooking a couple of minutes, add about 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes, to taste. Continue cooking meat until it is browned, then drain.

Add your tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, onions, garlic, and spinach to your hamburger meat and mix well. Let simmer for a few minutes, until everything has melded together.

Add your shells, and mix together. You can stop at this step and serve if you'd like, but I added cheese!

Transfer contents to a casserole dish and top with grated mozzerella and romano cheese, then pop in the oven for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the cheese is all melted and gooey.

Then just plate and serve! I served mine with a side salad and some easy toasted bread, but this would be yummy with some crusty french bread.

It was an easy, hearty meal, and we had plenty of leftovers, even after my husband ate seconds. Enjoy!