Unstuffed Shells with Spinach & Artichokes

This little Unstuffed Shells with Spinach and Artichokes number is the lazy person’s way of making an impressive meal come together in a snap(!). “I don’t know how he/she does it!” they’ll say. “It really is a wonder.” Truly, if you want to feel like you just have your act together in a big way, this is the recipe to help usher in those feelings of having-it-togetherness. It’s remarkably fast and tastes like a million bucks. I personally love the way the jumbo shells look, all jagged and textured and well, pokey. They point and poke and jut out of the pan, reaching every which way, and I just think it’s got a real wow factor to it.

This pasta, incidentally, goes really nicely alongside a good steak, or some sort of hearty main-course protein. Pairing it with a steak gives some serious steakhouse vibes, like you’re shooting a nod at the creamed spinach we so often see on steakhouse tables. Alterntatively, you can serve it with a fresh green salad and call it your meatless Monday marvel. It will fill you up and, thanks to it’s very pronounced, insanely delicious flavors, leave you feeling completely satisfied.

Here’s the deal:

While your shells are boiling, you’ll cook up some onion in a little olive oil and then add in your thawed frozen spinach. Our pinch-hitter ingredient – garlic and herb cheese spread – will step in at this point, transforming the pan’s contents into a decidedly creamy, ultra flavorful sauce. We’ll thin it all out with some chicken or vegetable stock (you can simply use water, if you prefer) and call it good. Add the cooked shells into the creamy sauce, stir, and then top with grated parmesan. The last step is to send it all under the broiler until it’s just barely golden brown – like perfectly tanned sun-kissed shells. The little beach bums.

Also, for what it’s worth, I don’t love leftover pasta (unless it’s done this way), but this one does a pretty good job the second time around – it can stand some re-heating. That is, of course, only if you have any leftover …

Here is a ready-made pin for you! Simply save it to your “Easy Dinners,” or “Pasta” or “One Pan Meals” boards and you’ll be all set when the craving strikes!

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