Italian food is hearty and delicious, but can often be time consuming to make.

Not everyone has the time to stand over a hot stove and wait eight hours for tomato sauce to be made from scratch.

For those of us who have jobs or other priorities, it’s always a challenge to find good-for-you meals that won’t break the bank.

If you’re looking for a good, cheap and relatively healthy meal that’s easy to prepare for a large group of people, look no further.

Stuffed shells are simple to make and require minimal ingredients and equipment.

You can control the fillings; feel free to add more vegetables or even some ground Italian sausage or ground beef.

The leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Spinach Stuffed Shells
Serves 8

• 1 box large shell pasta
• 32 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese
• 3 c. frozen spinach, partially thawed
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. fresh, chopped basil (dried works as well; reduce to 2 tsp.)
• 2 c. tomato sauce* (see recipe below)
• ¾ c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large pot, boil pasta until almost cooked through, or al dente. In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, spinach and egg.
3. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add in oil and spices. Set aside.
4. Drain pasta and let cool a little.
5. To fill, open shell and stuff about a tablespoon of ricotta mixture.
6. Place in the bottom of a 9”x 13” pan. Repeat until all shells are filled.
7. Pour tomato sauce over shells and around edges. If desired, sprinkle half mozzarella cheese on top.
8. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for another 15 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Easy Tomato Sauce

• 2 c. plain, canned tomato sauce (Hunt’s or similar)
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp. fresh, chopped basil (dried works as well; reduce to 1 Tbsp.)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions:

In a medium sized saucepan, combine all ingredients and stir over medium-high heat until hot throughout.

To accompany your meal, try these baked zucchini fries.
Eating them hot from the oven, you’ll burn your tongue trying to get a taste!

Baked Zucchini Fries
Serves 8

• 2 large zucchinis
• 2 large eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 ½ c. Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 c. finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cover two baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray with baking spray.
2. Wash and dry zucchini, then cut width-wise into three sections.
3. Cut each of the three sections in half, and then in small, French fry-sized slices. In a bowl, whisk eggs, olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Pour breadcrumbs in another bowl.
5. Dip zucchini slices in egg mixture, then coat with breadcrumbs and lay on baking sheet.
6. Repeat until all zucchini has been coated. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and firm.

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