Ingredients Pasta + Noodles Baked Pasta Kale-Artichoke Stuffed Shells 4.6 (14) 14 Reviews Cannellini beans add hearty creaminess to these stuffed shells, while mild heat from Calabrian chiles and earthy sweetness from fennel seeds amp up jarred marinara sauce. Cook a few extra pasta shells to have on hand in case some tear during boiling. By Ann Taylor Pittman Ann Taylor Pittman For 20 years, Ann Taylor Pittman built a career of creating healthy recipes at Cooking Light magazine, where she most recently served as Executive Editor. She is the recipient of two James Beard Foundation Awards: a feature writing award for "Mississippi Chinese Lady Goes Home to Korea" and a cookbook award for The New Way to Cook Light. She is now a freelancer specializing in recipe development, writing, and video. Ann lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, their 13-year-old twin boys, one big dog, and one little dog. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on December 17, 2020 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Active Time: 40 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins Servings: 4 Ingredients 3 quarts plus ¼ cup water, divided 3 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste 16 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (about 6 ounces), plus more, if needed 1 ½ cups jarred marinara sauce (such as Rao's) 2 teaspoons finely chopped jarred Calabrian chiles (about 3 chiles), or more to taste 1 teaspoon fennel seeds Cooking spray ¼ cup olive oil, divided 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 medium bunches lacinato kale, stemmed and chopped (about 6 cups) 1 (12-ounce) jar marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1 (5.2-ounce) container garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese (such as Boursin) 4 ounces provolone cheese, shredded (about 1 cup) Directions Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Stir in 3 tablespoons salt, and return to a boil. Add pasta shells; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; set shells aside. Stir together marinara, Calabrian chiles, and fennel seeds in a medium bowl. Season with salt to taste. Spray a 13- x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray; spread sauce in an even layer in dish, and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium; swirl to coat. Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add kale, and toss to coat. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup water over kale. Cover and cook until kale is tender, about 5 minutes, stirring once halfway through cook time. Add artichoke hearts; cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until warmed, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Combine beans, spreadable cheese, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a food processor; process until smooth and creamy, about 45 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add bean mixture to kale mixture, and stir until well combined. Season with salt to taste. Spoon bean mixture evenly into cooked pasta shells (about 3 tablespoons per shell). Arrange shells on marinara mixture, and sprinkle evenly with provolone. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven until provolone melts and sauce is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to high broil, and broil until cheese begins to brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve hot. Make Ahead Pasta shells can be stuffed up to 2 days ahead and stored in refrigerator. Let shells come to room temperature before baking. Rate it Print