What Kids Can Do

* Squeeze spinach

* Mix filling

* Place filling in shells

1. Prepare sauce. Heat oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Mushrooms will begin to shrink and give off their juices.

2. Add marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, parsley, and pepper and stir well. Lower heat, cover pan, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce should be slightly thick. Remove from heat.

3. In a large stockpot, heat 1 gallon water over high heat until boiling. When water boils, sprinkle with 4 tsp. salt. Add pasta shells and cook in boiling water about 10 minutes - they should be slightly firm. Pour into a colander and run under cool water to stop cooking process and so that shells are cool enough to handle. Drain well.

4. While water heats, prepare filling. Put spinach in a sieve placed over a large bowl. Press down on it with a large spoon to squeeze out extra liquid (this keeps filling from becoming watery.) Discard strained liquid and place spinach in bowl. Add ricotta, eggs,3/4 cup of the Parmigiano cheese, Romano cheese, nutmeg, pepper, and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. Refrigerate while pasta shells cook, about 20 to 30 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Ladle 1 cup sauce over bottom of pan.

6. Remove cheese filling from refrigerator. Use a spoon to scoop a generous tablespoon of filling into each shell. As you work, place filled shells, stuffed side up, in pan.

7. Ladle remaining sauce over shells, then top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano cheese. Cover pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove foil.

Source: Hannaford fresh Magazine, November - December 2008