DELICIOUS & EASY Chorizo Feta Stuffed Pasta Shells!

These delicious and easy stuffed pasta shells are the ultimate in pay off for effort vs result. Pasta shells are filled with a delicious mixture of chorizo sausage, feta and spinach for the ultimate one tray meal! It requires 15 minutes prep total and feeds 6 very happy people! This is a pushy recipe Dear Reader!

Which chorizo to use? Some people probably have their favourite chorizo so if you have one, I would use that. I used the Rodrigues Brothers chorizo as that was what was at the store when I went shopping. I actually bought these months ago and kept them in my freezer for emergencies such as this.

This recipe is SO versatile: change your pasta shape to whatever you have! If you don't have a pasta shape that can be stuffed, roll the mixture into small meatballs and scatter among the pasta (just make sure to squeeze the frozen spinach well of any excess water so that you can shape the meatballs easily). Change the pasta sauce to whichever one you have if you don't like spicy. I uses a Sacla Arrabbiata Cherry Tomato Pasta sauce because they asked me to develop a recipe for them using it. Change the feta to mozzarella or cheddar if that is what you have to hand! Don't have spinach? Try chopped mushrooms or a 50/50 mix of chopped carrot and zucchini! Just make sure to season it all well and that includes salting the water so that the pasta is already seasoned by the time it hits the tray.

Other pasta bakes: Vegetarian Stuffed Pasta Shells, Pastitsio, Crab Mac & Cheese, French Onion Mac and Cheese, Cheesey Baked Gnocchi, Gnocchi Bolognese Bake or if you're feeling fancy try this Stuffed Rigatoni Pasta Cake! Plus of course all of the lasagnes!

Pasta bakes are one of my favourite things ever. I like both eating them but Mr NQN loves them too. Plus I'm a big fan of tray bakes where you pop everything in one tray and then leave it to cook in the oven unattended. Despite my love of pasta bakes, there's one thing that I have to confess to all of you. It's something that I don't really like at all that I haven't quite told you about over all these years.

Dear Reader, I hate pasta salad. Like I never make it or buy it. I basically do not engage with it.

I don't know exactly why but maybe because it reminds me of my childhood and I did not enjoy my childhood at all. I also feel like the pasta is never al dente enough and I hate soft pasta. And it's not the mayonnaise, because I love the stuff. I adore pasta and eat it often and cold leftover pasta from the fridge is delicious and I often eat it for breakfast or lunch. But pasta salad is a big no thank you from me. And that's why there's rarely ever a pasta salad featured on the blog.

There I've said it. I feel like there's a weight off my chest!

So tell me Dear Reader, is there a popular food that you're inexplicably not drawn to and why don't you like it? Do you like pasta bakes? How about pasta salad?

Spicy Chorizo and Feta Stuffed Pasta Shells

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 37 minutes

Serves: 6

• 2x420g/14.82oz jars arrabbiata pasta sauce

• 500g/1.1lbs conchiglioni or giant pasta shells

• 500g/1.1lbs. chorizo sausage, cases removed

• 250g/8.8ozs. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, excess liquid squeezed out

• 200g/7oz block feta cheese

• 1 egg

• 3 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

Step 1 - Boil the pasta shells in plenty of salted, boiling water for 2 minutes less than the packet says (around 7 minutes). Drain.

Step 2 - Preheat oven to 200c/400F/ Spread one jar of sauce across the base of a large baking dish. Line up the pasta open side up.

Step 3 - Blend the chorizo, spinach, feta cheese and egg together to produce a paste. Place this in a piping bag. Pipe the filling into the shell cavities. Pour the other jar of sauce over the shells and scatter with grated mozzarella on top. Bake for 25 minutes. Place under grill for 5 minutes to brown the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.