"Meatless Monday" Recipe of the Week - Festive Stuffed Shells

From the website of PBS/Recipes, Festive Stuffed Shells. Also included is a recipe for Quick Baby Spinach Salad. You can both recipes on the PBS/Recipe website which has a great selection of recipes for all tastes and cuisines, Enjoy!   http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/

Festive Stuffed Shells

Festive Stuffed Shells can be the star of this magical holiday meal. I love to prepare this satisfying pasta dish to serve at gala gatherings.

Ingredients
20 to 22 jumbo pasta shells
3 to 4 large russet potatoes, baked and cooled

¼ cup unsweetened nondairy milk
½ cup diced yellow or sweet onion
1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 cups lightly packed baby spinach, finely chopped
1⅓ cups your favorite prepared marinara sauce, plus more for serving
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)


Directions
1 - Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the shells. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shells are almost cooked but still quite firm. Drain and let cool.
3 - Meanwhile, slice each potato in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the pulp, using a teaspoon or grapefruit spoon. Measure out 3 cups of the potato pulp, making sure to pack it very tightly into the measuring cup. Put the 3 cups of the potato pulp in a high-performance blending appliance.
4 - Add the nondairy milk, onion, garlic, and salt. Process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Fold the chopped baby spinach into the potato mixture.
5 - Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 12 inch casserole dish. Spoon about 1 ½ tablespoons of the potato filling into each of the shells. Place each shell into the prepared casserole dish. Repeat until all shells are stuffed. Top each shell with 1 heaping teaspoon of the marinara sauce.
6 - Cover loosely and bake 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the sauce is bubbling. Uncover during the last 5 to 7 minutes. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with optional chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, if desired. Serve extra sauce in a gravy boat or small bowl to pass around the table.
Tips/Techniques
* Serve 3 to 4 shells per person arranged on top of Quick Baby Spinach. For a completely oil-free recipe, use no-oil marinara sauce.



Quick Baby Spinach Salad

Ingredients
3 cups lightly packed baby spinach
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Sea salt or Himalayan pink salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions
1 - Put the spinach in a medium bowl.
2 - To make the dressing, put the vinegar and maple syrup in a small bowl and briskly whisk until smooth.
3 - Pour the dressing over the spinach and toss gently to coat the leaves. Top with salt and pepper as desired.
Yield: 2 to 3 servings

http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/festive-stuffed-shells/