Stuffed Vegetarian Shells -- Four at the Table, One Chair Empty

Early October. Week four. We won, thirty-one to twenty-one, against a tough conference opponent. Marcus had two TDs and a long run. Tyrese had eight catches for one-twenty. Calvin had a sack. The defense gave up three drives but held the line in the red zone twice.

Diego played his fourth college game Saturday. He had three catches for forty-five yards. He had a key block on a long run. The CSU coaches told him he had played his best game of the season. He called Lisa Saturday night. He sounded happy. He was settling into Fort Collins. The roommate situation was good. The classes were good. He was learning. He was eating better — he had figured out how to make scrambled eggs in the dorm kitchenette and had been doing it most mornings before practice.

Sofia is in cross-country season. Cross-country is harder for her than track because the courses are uneven and the racing is over five thousand meters instead of eight hundred. She is good but not dominant in cross-country the way she is in track. She is finishing top ten in most meets. Coach Lan is using cross-country as base-building for track. Sofia understands. Sofia is in for the long game.

Saturday I made green chile chicken for the family. The twins ate. Sofia ate. Lisa ate. We had four at the table. Diego was missing. The chair was missing. We are getting used to it. We are not used to it. We are getting used to not being used to it. The road bends. Feed your people. The game is won at the table.

I had planned on green chile chicken, but when Saturday came and I was standing in the kitchen looking at that empty chair, I wanted something that took a little more time — something that kept my hands busy and filled the house with a smell that said we’re still here, we’re still whole. These stuffed shells are the kind of recipe that asks something of you, and that felt right. Four at the table is still four. You feed your people. You keep cooking.

Stuffed Vegetarian Shells

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 10 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 24 jumbo pasta shells
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 cup diced zucchini
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 1/2 cups marinara sauce, divided
• Fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions

1. Cook the shells. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook jumbo shells according to package directions until just al dente, about 9–10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Lay flat on a lightly oiled baking sheet to prevent sticking.
2. Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread 1 cup of marinara sauce evenly across the bottom.
3. Saute the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and zucchini and cook another 2–3 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook until just wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
4. Make the filling. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Fold in the cooled vegetable mixture until evenly combined.
5. Fill the shells. Using a spoon or small scoop, fill each cooked shell generously with the ricotta-vegetable mixture. Nestle filled shells in a single layer in the prepared baking dish, open side up.
6. Top and bake. Spoon the remaining 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce over the filled shells. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Finish uncovered. Remove foil and bake an additional 12–15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and lightly golden at the edges.
8. Rest and serve. Let the dish rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 22g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 48g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 720mg