Stuffed shells are one of my favorite dishes. I remember my mom making them when I was a child. This is a twist on a classic, combining cheesy spinach artichoke dip. I love to make a quick and easy sauce, but jarred tomato sauce will work just as well! 

For the Sauce:

2 tbsp olive oil 

5 cloves minced garlic

2-4 anchovy fillets

½ tsp chili flakes

1 (28 oz can) San Marzano tomatoes (crushed by hand)

salt and pepper

For the Shells:

1 (15 oz container) ricotta cheese 

1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

3 oz baby spinach 

1 10 oz jar marinated artichokes (drained and finely chopped)

¼ cup fresh basil

¼ cup fresh parsley

1/3 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

1 12 oz package shells

Begin by making your sauce. Add garlic to a pan of oil over medium heat and cook until golden. Add in your anchovies and cook until they are melted into the oil. Stir in chili flakes and add in your hand-crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook on low while you assemble your shells. 

Boil your shells for 8 minutes (they won’t be fully cooked) and run under some cold water to stop the cooking. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix ricotta, ½ cup mozzarella, spinach, artichokes, basil, parsley, and peccorino, stir until combined and season with salt and pepper. Grease a 9 x 13” baking dish with some oil. Add a layer of your marinara sauce to the bottom of the dish. Fill each shell with your ricotta mixture and place shells in the dish as you fill. You may run out of filling and have some shells leftover. That’s ok! Top with an even layer of marinara  sauce, then mozzarella and a sprinkle of pecorino. Cover your dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and broil until your cheese is golden brown. Top with some freshly torn basil! I hope you enjoy this weeknight staple.