No Tomato Sauce Mediterranean Stuffed Shells
Mediterranean Stuffed Shells, devoid of Tomato Sauce, are filled with lamb, spinach, fresh oregano, grated cheese and baked in a lamb herb gravy.
Stuffed Shells
Who doesn’t appreciate pasta!
Large pasta shells are perfect for stuffing with a myriad of fillings, simple to make, easily serves many and is consistently kid-friendly!
Stuffed shells also present a wonderful opportunity to utilize a ‘meal prep’ day, as you can prepare numerous of these and freeze in small portions.
When it’s mealtime, simply reheat later when you’re short on time to cook.
My stuffed shells remain a beloved dish for my children and their busy young families.
Always valued by parents, and grandma gets to be a favorite with the little ones.
Why No Tomato Sauce?
Let’s be honest, not everyone enjoys tomato sauce, despite the conditioning that it should accompany every Pizza or Meat Sauce.
Imagine my astonishment, when my youngest grandchild, at the age of five, tells me he dislikes tomato sauce on his pizza!
Moreover, my adult daughter remarks that she reacts adversely to Acid Reflux and that tomatoes are entirely excluded from her diet.
Finally, after I turned 65, I embarked on a personal journey towards better health and initiated a Blood Type Diet.
Simultaneously, since I am a B-Blood type, tomatoes are off-limits for me.
Thus, I have discovered numerous inventive methods to prepare dishes, typically utilizing tomato sauce, now without!
Mediterranean Stuffed Shells With Gravy
For my Mediterranean stuffed shells, I have selected some of the finest flavors of my culture to incorporate into the filling.
I utilized lamb, spinach, quality sheep milk cheese, fresh oregano and my two favorite spices, sumac and black cumin (which is distinct from brown cumin).
Mediterranean Shells vs Tomato Sauce Shells
Tomato sauce is not the sole pasta sauce available folks!
In this straightforward recipe, I create a roux with flour and butter, then add the juices from the lightly seared lamb, spinach, and lemon juice to produce a gravy.
Leveraging my garden to table herbs, either freshly picked or dried after the summer season, is what enhances many of my sauces.
Brown lamb gravy nestled into these pasta shells topped with melted cheese, plus a few vibrant sweet peppers if desired, will rapidly take the place of tomato sauce.
Consider all the ‘kids’ stains you won’t have to scrub later! Just saying (wink).
Mediterranean Stuffed Shells With Tomato Sauce
But… If you’re genuinely passionate about Stuffed Pasta Shells with Tomato sauce, I sneak
vegetables into my stuffing, conceal them with the tomato sauce and cheese, and the children are joyful and well-nourished!
The hue of tomato sauce is perfect for concealing green vegetables.
Actually, I presented this iteration of my Mediterranean stuffed shells on the PBS culinary contest; The Great American Recipe and it was well-received! In Episode 3, you can see me preparing this dish.
How To Prepare Stuffed Shells?
There are three quick and simple steps to creating the shells:
- Boil the shells, add a little oil and herbs, and set them aside until needed
- Sauté the filling quickly, create the roux to incorporate into the filling which rapidly transforms into a delicious sauce
- Fill, sprinkle with cheese, and bake… or freeze!
Required Ingredients
- Jumbo pasta shells
- Ground lamb
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Fresh oregano
- Sumac
- Black cumin – distinct from brown cumin
- Spinach
- Mini tri-colored peppers
- Lemon juice
- Flour
- Butter
- Pecorino cheese
Necessary Equipment
- Large pot for boiling pasta
- Large sauté pan with a cover
- Small sauté pan for preparing the roux
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Strainer for draining pasta
- Measuring spoons
- Small spoon for stuffing the shells
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Citrus juicer
- Garlic press
- Baking dish
- Foil
- Stovetop or burner
- Oven
Bread
While these stuffed shells will delight both your palate and your stomach, you might also appreciate a slice of bread alongside.
Not just any bread, but this dark, textured nutritious Spelt and Potato Bread that I frequently bake for charcuterie, grilled cheese, or simply for dipping into my soups and stews!
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Large stock pot
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Baking dish
- 24 oz Jumbo pasta shells
- 1 lb Ground lamb beef, turkey or bison
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 Garlic cloves crushed
- 6 Fresh oregano stems
- 1 tbsp Sumac
- 1 tbsp Black Cumin Nigella seed powder
- 1 lb Spinach chopped
- 8 Mini tri-colored peppers thinly sliced round
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice approximately 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp Flour
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 4 oz Pecorino Cheese sliced, or alternative mozzarella
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Prepare the pasta shells according to the instructions, drain, lightly toss in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 crushed garlic clove, and season with salt to preference. Arrange them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
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In a skillet, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the diced onions. Incorporate the lamb, chopped leaves from 3 stalks of oregano, salt, black cumin, sumac, and remaining crushed garlic. Mix and cook until the lamb is fully browned.
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Incorporate the lemon juice and chopped spinach. Cover the pan, gently shaking it to wilt the spinach. Remove the lid to stir, combining all the elements thoroughly. Replace the lid and take it off the heat.
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In a small sauté pan, melt the butter over low to medium heat and whisk in the flour to create a roux (paste). With care, drizzle some of the liquid from the lamb pan into the roux, stirring quickly. Transfer the roux into the pan containing the lamb and spinach, mixing it in. If necessary, add a tablespoon of water to deglaze the roux pan and incorporate that into the lamb mixture as well. Blend everything together.
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Set the oven temperature to 350.
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In a baking dish, apply a small amount of olive oil. Stuff the cooked pasta shells with the lamb and spinach mixture, placing them snugly in the dish.
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Add additional oregano leaves atop the stuffed shells, place a slice of cheese in each one, and include thinly cut peppers if desired.
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Lightly cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve.
Serving: 6g | Calories: 763kcal
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