My love for fusion food, especially Indian fusion has no bounds, and this Palak Paneer Stuffed Shells was another experiment with fusion food that was a huge success. It has become a family favorite and my son requests it all the time, even taking leftovers for his school lunch. I feel good because it is relatively a healthy and wholesome meal that I am happy to serve my family.
I have made this Palak Paneer Stuffed Shells recipe very quick and easy using some shortcuts. It is a great make ahead meal that you can assemble and keep covered in the refrigerator and bake when ready to eat. If you prep it on the weekend, you can have dinner ready for the family in no time on the week days.
What makes this recipe of Palak Paneer Stuffed Shells a fusion dish?
I used to make the classic Italian dish Stuffed shells with Ricotta and Spinach all the time in the past. Ricotta cheese is very similar to soft crumbled paneer in taste and texture, especially the soft home made paneer. So, one day I thought of Indianizing the classic Italian dish.
Palak Paneer is a very popular Indian dish of paneer pieces in spicy pureed spinach gravy. This version of the filling uses lots of sauteed spinach mixed in with grated or crumbled paneer. I use well drained home made paneer, but you can also use store bought paneer. Store bought paneer comes in blocks, so be sure to either crumble it well with your fingers or grated it.
Typically, the Italian version of the stuffed shells have a marinara sauce or any simple Italian sauce to cover the shells. But for this fusion version, we are using a spicy Indian tomato sauce with Indian spices. I have kept the sauce very simple to make and it comes together quickly if you use store bought can of crushed tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes have a nice color and a depth of flavor, so it does not require a lot of cooking.
Steps to make Palak Paneer Stuffed Shells
Boil Pasta– Boil jumbo shells according to package directions. Be sure to cook it al dente. Since the assembled pasta will go in the oven, we don’t want the pasta to be over cooked.
Make the filling– Make the filling by sautéing chopped spinach and then stirring in crumbled or grated paneer. It is flavored very minimally with cumin seeds (jeera), garlic, green chilies (optional) and black pepper.
Make the sauce– While the filling is cooling off, you can work on the tomato sauce. It is a simple sauce with sautéed onions, crushed tomatoes and basic Indian spices. To give it a bit of richness, we are adding in some heavy cream at the end.
Assembling the dish and baking it- The last step brings all the ingredients together. The filling is stuffed in the shells, and arranged in a glass or ceramic baking dish (or any oven proof dish). The stuffed shells are then covered with the spicy red sauce and sprinkled with shredded cheese. It then goes in the hot oven (first covered in foil) for 30 minutes and then uncovered for 15 minutes to melt the cheese.
Serving– Unlike Lasagna which needs to be rested before cutting it up, you can serve hot stuffed shells right out of the oven. Serve it with garlic bread or even garlic naan if you like!
Key Features of this recipe:
This recipe is Vegetarian and can be made Vegan. To make it Vegan, substitute firm crumbled tofu for paneer, omit or substitute coconut cream for heavy cream and use vegan cheese to top the bake.
It is a relatively healthy and hearty meal, but you can make it healthier by using whole what pasta (if you can find whole wheat jumbo shells) and omitting the cream from the sauce.
Great make ahead meal. Cover assembled but unbaked casserole with foil and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can also tightly cover and freeze it for up to a month. Unfreeze it overnight in the refrigerator before baking and serving.
Leftovers heat up great in the microwave and make a nice meal the next day so double the recipe and make a big batch!
Would make a great addition to your Indian Thanksgiving or Christmas table.
If you are looking for fusion inspiration for your holiday table, try:
Curried Vegan Pot Pie with Vegetables and Tofu
8
servings45
minutes45 minutes
Ingredients
24 Jumbo Pasta Shells
2 cups Shredded mozzarella cheese
- For the filling
2 cups Crumbled Paneer (home made or store bought)
10-12 oz Spinach, chopped roughly
1 clove clove of garlic, crushed
1 teasspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
2 small green chilies, finely chopped
salt and pepper
- For the Sauce
28 oz can Crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup Chopped yellow onions
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon Red chili powder
2 teaspoon Coriander powder (dhaniya)
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera)
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder (haldi)
1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon Sugar
1/4 cup Heavy cream
salt
Method
- Boil jumbo shells according to package directions. Be sure to cook them al dente and not overcook the pasta. Drain in a colander and lightly coat with cooking oil so they don’t stick. Set aside.
- To make the filling:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide non-stick pan. When heated, add cumin seeds and cook for 30 seconds. Add crushed garlic and green chilies and cook for another 30 secs. Now add the chopped spinach and let it cook till it wilts. Spinach will shrink significantly and release some water. Let the water almost evaporate. Add salt, pepper and the crumbled paneer. Stir to combine and turn off the flame. - To make the Tomato sauce:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan. When heated, add chopped onions and garlic and cook for 5-6 minutes till the onions soften. Now add the can of crushed tomatoes, grated ginger, salt, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, haldi and salt. Cook on medium flame for 7-8 minutes. Add garam masala, sugar and heavy cream. Stir and turn off the flame. - To Assemble:
Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
Take an oven safe baking dish that is about 14×8 inches. Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce at the bottom of the baking dish. Fill the cooked jumbo shells with about 2 tablespoons of the prepared filling. Start laying the filled shells in the baking dish, open side up. Once done with the shells, spread the remaining tomato sauce on top of the shells, evenly. Top it with shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Now remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes for the cheese to melt. - Serve hot with garlic bread and salad.
