Oh my! Last week's Spinach dinner!!!!!!!!!!!

I see I forgot to post last week's spinach and mushroom filling in Judy L's recipe challenge!!!!  So - I'll post it (only a few days late) now!

Picture will be added as soon as I figure out which of the many picture folders it has vanished into!

(BTW - it was GOOD!!!!!)

The recipe is called "Conchiglie with Three Fillings" - I used the Spinach and Mushroom Filling.  The book is  The Joy of Pasta.  Authors are Joe Famularo and Louise Imperiale.  Copyright is 1983 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc.  And the recipe is on page 150.  I'm very hesitant at this point to print out the recipe - but the info is there for anyone who wants to research it!

This will stuff 24 (unless you happen to be me - in which case - your guess is as good as mine!) Ingredients, according to the recipe, include butter; finely chopped shallots; chopped garlic; fresh spinach that has been cooked, drained and chopped; mushrooms - chopped, of course; 2 eggs; freshly grated Parmesan cheese; prosciutto or smoked ham, chopped; mozzarella, diced; salt; black pepper.

And - as per usual I modified a whole bunch of things - mostly because I either couldn't find or couldn't afford some of the ingredients and - well - re the others - I just don't "do" them!

I did use the Jumbo shells which I cooked according to directions for filling.  Then as to the spinach filling - I did melt some butter (amount is a guess and by gosh!) and sauteed onions and garlic until they looked somewhat transparent.  Then I added the spinach (what there was in the bag that I had very lightly steamed earlier), stirring pretty much constantly.

At this point (forgetting the eggs for the  moment - which were SUPPOSED to be added at this point!) I used some turkey bacon that I had cooked for breakfast and had crumbled.  Of course this was where many folks would add the prosciutto - or smoked ham - but I don't do either of those!

That was the point where I remembered the eggs - which I scrambled up separately in a small bowl, adding the salt and pepper to the eggs (along with a little Italian Seasoning), then beat them into the mixture a little at a time.

Next step involved filling the shells.  This was kind of a mess since I am known throughout my family and friends as Superklutz!  And since the al dente became "cooked the pasta too long".  At any rate, once I had the shells all stuffed (or what might pass for shells being completely stuffed - or even just the stuffing with shell pieces stuck on top).

Oven was at 350 - or at least that's what the oven control said - I personally have my doubts!

Important -  Butter ALL pans used to bake these things!!!!!  (I forgot!)

Directions say to pour Marinara and Balsamella sauce over the shells and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over all.

Uh - that didn't happen!  Mine just went straight into the oven with a little commercially prepared Marinara sauce - and the Parmesan cheese happened before I ate it!  The extras also froze well!

Regardless - it was very good - and definitely worth repeating - although I do think I will re-read the directions a little more thoroughly FIRST next time!