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Seafood Pasta Bake

 Large pasta shells filled with cheeses, shrimp and crab, baked in a creamed spinach sauce. Sauteed jumbo garlic shrimp add a touch of elegance. 
(serves 5-6)
  • 12 large shell shaped pasta shells
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup chopped crab meat
  • 1/4 cup chopped cooked shrimp
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Cook pasta shells as directed on box. Drain and cool.
  2. Mix together remaining ingredients.
  3. Once shells have cooled fill shells with mixture. Place on a pan, cover and keep in refrigerator while you make the sauce.
Sauce:
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup minced onion
  • 1 large clove garlic, crushed
  • 1/4 cup sweet red pepper, diced fine
  • 1 1/2 cup light cream
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach
  • Parmesan cheese, grated
  1. Melt butter in pan. Add onion and red pepper and saute until vegetables are beginning to soften but do not brown.
  2. Add garlic and continue to saute for one minute.
  3. In a jar shake together the cream, broth and flour until smooth. Add to sauteed mixture and bring to a light boil. Add spices. Mixture will thicken slightly but should still be fairly runny. Add a little milk if it's too thick, you want to be able to pour it. Simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Pour half the sauce into a bowl and set aside. Add spinach to the pan with the remaining sauce. As spinach gets hot it will wilt down. This will take a minute or two. 
  5. To assemble, pour the creamed spinach into the bottom of a low casserole dish. Place filled pasta shells right into the hot mixture, open side up. Pour remaining hot sauce over shells. 
  6. Generously sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 
  7. Bake uncovered in 350º oven for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly and really hot. You want to make sure the filling in the shells gets really hot. 
  8. Remove from oven and top with prawns.
Garlic Jumbo Prawns:
  • 8-12 jumbo prawns, peeled, tails on or off (I like them on for the look) 
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
  1. In a large fry pan melt butter and add garlic and prawns. Cook over medium hot heat until prawns are cooked. They will cook in about 3-4 minutes. 
  2. Top hot pasta dish with prawns and serve immediately. 

10 comments:

  1. This sounds so delicious! Sadly my husband's not a seafood lover, so someone else would have to share this with me. :)

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  2. This sounds absolutely heavenly. However, I don't eat cooked spinach. Is there something else that can be substituted?

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    1. You can totally just leave out the spinach. Pour half the cream sauce without spinach in the bottom of your dish, top with the stuffed pasta shells and pour the remaining sauce over. It will be delicious!

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  3. Looks fabulous! I think I will try it some night my son is not home for dinner (he is allergic to shellfish). Elaine, maybe you could use something chicken instead of the crab and shrimp? Gypsy Quilter, how about substituting kale, or some other green vegetable like small broccoli florets or asparagus tips? There are endless meat and vegetable combinations that could be substituted using the basic recipe. But, I think I will go for it just as it is written! Yum! :)

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    1. Sorry to say I don't care for cooked green things. Prefer spinach and broccoli raw. May try it anyway. Seafood and cream sauce are a rare treat.

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  4. That looks just delicious, Kathy! I would love to have this for dinner tonight. :)

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    Replies
    1. Happy Birthday Judy! Pretend I made this for you tonight:)

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  5. Wow - that's a beautiful dish! It sounds absolutely scrumptious.

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  6. OMG how mouth-watering....must try it.

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  7. Do you have a take out order menu?

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