'To Meat or Not To Meat '...Stuffed Seashell Pasta

To meat or not to meat.... that is the question. Why rack your brain, when you can end up pleasing all the diners at your table with their desired choice by making both versions.  It's really an uncomplicated recipe which can be prepped in advance and simply popped into the oven just before guests arrive. The ricotta filled portions are light and fluffy as are the veal and spinach stuffed seashell pasta. Simply delicious served with a rosé tomato sauce, made by adding some light cream to your basic marinara sauce.

"She sells sea shells by the seashore.
The shells she sells are surely seashells.
So if she sells shells on the seashore..."  a classic tongue twister really refers to Mary Anning  a 19th century British paleontologist and fossil collector who would sell her finds to make a living.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound or 36 cooked  sea shell pasta (according to package directions or 10 minutes)
ricotta filling
veal filling
2-3 cups rosé tomato sauce (marinara sauce with 15% cooking cream added)
grated Parmigiana Reggiano



Cheese Filling:
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiana Reggiano
In a bowl whisk the egg and add the cheeses. Stir to incorporate the ingredients.



Meat/ Spinach Filling:
1 pound minced veal
2 cups (packed) baby spinach
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 carrot finely chopped
1/2 celery stock finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons Italian parsley finely chopped
1/2 small sweet onion finely chopped
1 piece (2 inch length) leek finely chopped
1 garlic clove finely chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiana Reggiano
1/2 cup soft mozzarella
Salt and pepper to taste

Using a food processor finely mince the mozzarella cheese and transfer to a small bowl.

In a food processor mince the spinach or chop by hand and set aside.

 
Heat the oil  and saute the onions and leeks for two minutes. Add the garlic, carrot, celery and parsley then continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes.

                                                        Add the veal and cook through

Add the chopped spinach to meat and cook for an additional minute 

Stir in the grated cheese.

Assembly:

Line the bottom of a large casserole dish with about a cup of rose tomato sauce. Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of water to thin out the sauce to prevent drying out while the pasta bakes in the oven.

 

Using a teaspoon fill each pasta shell with the meat mixture and do the same with the ricotta filling. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish as illustrated below

 Pour rose sauce and grated Parmesan cheese over the pasta shells. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 350º F oven for 35 minutes.  If desired you may  garnish with chopped spinach by adding it to the unbaked pasta and allowing it to cook simultaneously.