spinach, artichoke and feta stuffed shells

i found today's inspiration recipe over at tracey's culinary adventures. the fact that she compared the taste to spinach and artichoke dip caught my eye. my husband could eat gallons of the stuff, so i figured he would like this version.

this meal is very hearty and creamy, but since you have full control of the ingredients you use, you can make it fairly light. it's also a great vegetarian meal for those of you who like to include veggie-based meals in your diet.

here's what you need:

-1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese

-1 cup crumbled feta cheese

-1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

-1/4 tsp black pepper

-1 can or frozen package of artichoke hearts, chopped (and thawed, if frozen)

-1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry

-1 clove of garlic, minced

-20 jumbo shells

-about 15 oz tomato sauce (i used a canned version for this recipe, but you could also use the homemade tomato sauce from this blog post from december)

step 1: spread half of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish. preheat oven to 375.

step 2: begin cooking shells according to package directions. once done, drain and let cool.

step 3: prepare filling. mix spinach, artichokes, feta cheese, ricotta cheese, pepper, garlic, and half of the mozzarella cheese in a medium bowl.

step 4: fill cooked, cooled shells with spinach mixture and place in the prepared 13x9 dish.

step 5: sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the shells.

step 6: bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes. 

step 7: eat all except 5 of the shells, then remember to take a picture of the final product. :)

as expected, michael is in love with this recipe. i really liked it too, and it's nice to take a break from the usual chicken, ground turkey, ground beef recipes. it will definitely be in rotation in the future!