eat your greens

Kale and ricotta stuffed shells. I'm thrilled to report that my daughter is eating pretty adventurously, especially considering that her mother is a pretty picky eater.

That doesn't mean I'm not paying attention to "hidden veggie" recipes, though--you never know when her taste buds will change and she'll decide that spinach is not, in fact, delicious. These kinds of dishes are good for my husband, too, since he doesn't devour vegetables in bulk like I do.

These shells are surprisingly tasty! They're just full of cheesy goodness and I'm not exaggerating when I say you really can't even tell that there's kale involved except by sight...and I added A LOT. I used the technique of soaking the shells in hot water rather than boiling them, and they baked up perfectly tender; I can't overpraise that method, and if you haven't tried it yet, you should!

This dish is a delight, and I'm excited because I still have half of the shells in the freezer for a rainy day!

Kell Shells
(printable recipe)
Based on this recipe
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:

• 20 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 big bunch kale (8-10 stalks), stems removed and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup basil, chopped
• 1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese, divided use
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• Pinch nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 jar store-bought tomato sauce or 2 cups homemade tomato sauce

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat.
Add the onion and cook until soft, 8-10 minutes.
Add the kale and cook until wilted, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool.
Soak the shells in hot water for 30 minutes, then drain, separate, and set aside.
Place the kale mixture in a large bowl and mix with the ricotta, 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella, basil, egg, mustard, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper and mix well.
Spread out 1 cup of sauce in an oven-proof casserole dish and set aside.
Stuff each shell with a generous amount of filling, placing the stuffed shells in the sauced dish.
Top the shells with the remaining sauce and remaining 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella.
Bake the dish for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is golden. Remove and let cool slightly before devouring.

Always my helper!