These easy Stuffed Shells are perfect to throw together on a weeknight and impressive enough to serve guests. They’re saucy, oh-so-cheesy, and loaded with a ricotta, spinach, and parmesan filling.
Stuffed Shells
Whenever you’re in the mood to eat some cheesy pasta, this recipe of cheese and spinach stuffed shells is perfect – absolutely perfect! It is a rich, hearty, stick to your ribs, carby and cheesy delight. While looking at this may have you thinking this is a really time consuming dinner, believe it or not these stuffed shells can be on your dinner table in under one hour.
Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
These jumbo shells are loaded with cheese, both ricotta and Parmesan cheese. Of course there’s spinach in them too, which makes these shells healthy, in my opinion. I topped the shells with lots mozzarella cheese because, let’s face it, these shells are all about that cheesy goodness. Comfort food at its finest. This is such a great dish because it’s quick, and it’s easy to make.
Frozen Or Fresh Spinach?
I opted for frozen today to make things easier for myself, but use whichever you would prefer!
Frozen
Now my recipe calls for frozen spinach that has been completely thawed. Thawed frozen spinach can bring a lot of liquid to this dish so be sure that it’s been completely drained before incorporating and try and squeeze as much water out of it as possible.
Fresh
If you’re using fresh spinach be sure to cut off the stems before incorporating. Wilt the spinach in a pan with some oil and drain after removing. Roughly chop the spinach and you’re good to go. You’ll want to use about 1 pound of fresh spinach for this recipe.
Ingredients in Stuffed Shells
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Jumbo pasta shells – This recipe will also work for manicotti or cannelloni, however as those types of pasta are a bit larger than jumbo shells you may need more filling.
- Ricotta cheese – Whipped cottage cheese would be a good substitute if needed.
- Parmesan cheese – Fresh is always better! Find yourself a good block to grate. You can use more or less as you like, but it really gives lots of great flavor to the filling.
- Frozen chopped spinach – Squeeze out as much excess water from the spinach as you can before going ahead with the recipe.
- Egg – The egg can be left out in this recipe if you prefer. It helps bind the filling together but isn’t absolutely necessary.
- Salt & pepper – Season to taste. Keep in mind the parmesan will add some saltiness, so be careful with the salt.
- Marinara sauce – Use your favorite type of sauce, store bought or make your own.
- Mozzarella – You can use more or less cheese as you like. I prefer to use block cheese versus pre-shredded cheese in a bag.
- Fresh basil – A sprinkle of some fresh basil over the shells after they come out of the oven adds amazing bright flavor.
How to Make Stuffed Shells
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Prep the pasta: Preheat the oven to 400F. Add the shells to a large pot of well salted boiling water and cook according to package instructions until they’re al dente. Make sure to stir the shells often and keep an eye on them as they may stick together. Rinse well with cold water in the strainer.
- Make the filling: Mix the ricotta, parmesan, spinach, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl. Scoop it into a large freezer bag or piping bag. Snip the tip of the piping bag or corner of the freezer bag to a 1″ diameter.
- Assemble the shells: Pour half the marinara in a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Pipe each shell with about 2 tbsp of the cheese and spinach mixture and place in the casserole dish over the sauce. Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the shells and top with mozzarella. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly, then broil for 2-5 minutes or until the cheese browns.
- Finish the dish: Garnish with fresh basil and freshly cracked pepper.
What Else Can I Use for The Filling?
Feel free to get creative with these great little shells. By no means should my recipe be the definitive list of what can and should go in your pasta dish. Try adding some of these flavorful morsels to your dish or make substitutions as necessary, trust me you’ll thank me later.
| Veggies | Meat |
|---|---|
| Mushrooms | Ground beef |
| Leeks | Ground pork |
| Kale | Italian Sausage |
| Squash | Chorizo |
| Sun Dried Tomatoes | Lamb |
| Chicken |
Tips for Making the Best Stuffed Shells
- I recommend boiling the entire package of pasta shells, even though we only need 18 because some of them may tend to break during boiling and we want 18 shells that are intact.
- Be sure to rinse your shells well with cold water in your strainer before incorporating it into your dish. We want to rinse all that residual starch off of our pasta.
- Piping your filling mixture into your shells through a bag with the corner snipped will ensure we get perfectly proportional shells with just enough filling. If you’d rather not take this step you can always use a medium sized spoon.
- Be sure to broil your dish before pulling it out of the oven, this will allow our melted mozzarella to brown and become perfectly golden on top.
Can I Make Stuffed Pasta Shells Ahead Of Time?
Absolutely! These shells make for a great quasi casserole that can be prepared a couple days in advance. Make it over the weekend and bake it when you’re ready to serve.
Follow the instructions as noted in the recipe right after assembly but right before baking. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil then refrigerate until ready to bake. The day you want to bake this take it out of the fridge while you’re preheating the oven to 350 F degrees. Bake as instructed in the recipe then garnish and serve.
How to Store Leftover Stuffed Shells
Transfer leftover baked stuffed shells to airtight containers and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days.
How to Freeze Stuffed Shells
Freeze in a tightly sealed dish for up to a month. When ready to serve, take it out of the freezer the night before and thaw it in the refrigerator. Bake according to instructions.
What to Serve With Stuffed Shells
This rich, creamy dish pairs beautifully with light and simple sides like salads and roasted veggies. These stuffed shells are completely satisfying on their own so if you’d rather just curl up on the couch with a big old bowl, I won’t stop you.
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Greek Salad
- Mediterranean Couscous Salad
- Kale And Quinoa Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette
- Tabbouleh Salad
- Italian Roasted Mushrooms And Veggies
More Incredible Pasta Dishes To Try:
- Chicken Lasagna alla Bolognese
- Cheesy Beef Tortellini Enchilada Casserole
- Zucchini Lasagna
- Taco Lasagna
- One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna
- Lasagna Roll-ups
- Buffalo Chicken Lasagna
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Stuffed Shells
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz jumbo pasta shells dry
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 4 oz Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 cup frozen chopped spinach thawed
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
- 24 oz marinara sauce 1 jar
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- fresh basil chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the pasta: Preheat the oven to 400F. Add the shells to a large pot of well salted boiling water and cook according to package instructions until they're al dente. Make sure to stir the shells often and keep an eye on them as they may stick together. Rinse well with cold water in the strainer.
- Make the filling: Squeeze out as much excess water from the spinach as you can. Mix the ricotta, parmesan, spinach, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl. Scoop it into a large freezer bag or piping bag. Snip the tip of the piping bag or corner of the freezer bag to a 1" diameter.
- Assemble the shells: Pour half the marinara in a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Pipe each shell with about 2 tbsp of the cheese and spinach mixture and place in the casserole dish over the sauce. Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the shells and top with mozzarella. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly, then broil for 2-5 minutes or until the cheese browns.
- Finish the dish: Garnish with fresh basil and freshly cracked pepper.Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Transfer leftover baked stuffed shells to airtight containers and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days.
- Freeze in a tightly sealed dish for up to a month. When ready to serve, take it out of the freezer the night before and thaw it in the refrigerator. Bake according to instructions.
Carole says
if you add meat to the recipe, does the cook time remain the same, or do you suggest pre-cooking the meat
Jo Cooks Team says
Cook the meat first and mix it with the sauce.
Donna Westover says
Clear and concise recipe! Soooooo good!!!
jo says
So glad you liked this!
Deb Trizila says
I am assuming you would want to drain or press liquid out of spinach before adding to cheese . Recipe doesn’t say so…..? Thanks !
Joanna Cismaru says
Yes, of course. 🙂
Jamise says
Do these freeze well? I would want to cook them and then freeze. What do you think?
Joanna Cismaru says
Yes just like any other pasta, the pasta can get a bit mealy but it will still be super tasty.
maria says
do I double the recipe if I were to use the entire package, with some left? I could not find a similar recipe w/c used all ingredients for all shells; I might have had some leftover of the filling w/c I just put on the sides of the shell pasta in the same pan… I don’t think I mixed the cottage cheese w/ the ricotta cheese… although one time, I picked up cottage cheese in error from the store, instead of ricotta cheese, & the cheese filling (at the time I didn’t use spinach) was very smooth, unlike when ricotta is used… another time, I used ground meat w/ the sauce but filling was just ricotta-based… so that’s for those looking for some meat…
jo says
I’m not sure I understand, the entire package of what? Do you mean shells? I’m not sure how many shells are in a package now.
Dee says
Hi..I haven,t been on here for a bit, but have tried many of you recipes.of which have become favorites in our home…I love these stuffed shells, but hubby would like a recipe made meat stuffing???
Thankyou, and love you site
Dee
jo says
Hi Dee,
Do you mean shells stuffed with meat? You can easily do that, some ground chicken or ground turkey would be nice and light. But I do have other recipes on here with stuffed meat, like stuffed peppers, cabbage rolls, stuffed grape leaves. Try some of them, I’m sure you’ll love them, those are my Romanian recipes from my mother, so I know they are good, we’ve made them many many times.
Dee says
Thankyou…and keep up your great recipes!
Teresa says
My son asked for cheese and spinach pasta for dinner today so, as usual, I did a Google search for a recipe and this was one that came up. Not only did we get a delicious meal from your site but also a wealth of information (How to start your own food blog) Thank you for the recipe and for generously sharing the information on blogging.
jo says
Thank you Teresa. Good luck to you if you start your own blog. 🙂
Heather says
Hi , I actually made this dish , i added a bit of hamburger to it fabulous dish , will be using your website more often , looking forward to the stuff mushrooms 🙂
jo says
Thank you Heather. I think you’ll love the stuffed mushrooms. Good luck. 🙂
myfudo says
I guess I can still keep my promise of healthy and delicious meals on the table for the year…This recipe just made my day. Ready to start cooking…Thanks for this recipe =)
jo says
You’re welcome. 🙂
Vicky says
I love making stuffed shells and freezing the leftovers for an easy weeknight dinner later!
jo says
Hi Vicky, I’ve never tried to freeze pasta before, it’s a good idea though, because somehow I always make more than we can eat. 🙂