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The word conchiglioni originates from the conch shell which this pasta resembles. This large ribbed pasta is heavy enough to withstand the  stress of being stuffed and then baked without losing it’s taste and structure. If you do not have this pasta, you can substitute manicotti or even roll up lasagna noodles.

Fancy name, fancy taste, simple recipe (it is just a jazzy name for stuffed jumbo shell pasta).  There is so much potential for you to customize this recipe to suit your tastes. It can be made vegetarian (like I did here) or with meat (either Italian sausage or pepperoni). It has excellent presentation but is not very difficult to make.

Mushroom, Spinach, and Ricotta Stuffed Conchiglioni Pasta

  • 1/2 box of a 12 ounce box of conchiglioni or jumbo shells
  • 1 jar of your choice of pasta sauce
  • 20 to 30 large  fresh button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 (15 ounce) container of ricotta cheese
  • 1 box of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
  • 1/2 large onion, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, roughly chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta to al dente. Drain and cool.

In a skillet with a little olive oil, saute onion, garlic, mushrooms, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper until onions are translucent. Add spinach and heat through.

In a bowl, combine the above ingredients with the ricotta cheese, mixing well. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.  Stuff each shell with an equal amount of the vegetable mixture and place seam side up in pan.

Top with pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake until bubbly and cheese begins to brown slightly.

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