Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
In this easy spinach and ricotta stuffed shells recipe, three cheeses combine with quick sauteed spinach, marinara sauce, and jumbo pasta shells for a hearty and comforting, crowd-pleasing vegetarian dinner.
Growing up, I was one of those bizarre children who actually liked eating vegetables. For a long time, spinach was my very favorite, and I would eat big bowls of it simply steamed, or sometimes with a little sprinkling of cheese.
I loved those leafy greens. Before you envy my parents having a child content to munch on spinach, sweet potatoes, peas, tomatoes, or other fresh produce procured in our family vegetable garden, they also lived through my angst-filled adolescent years, and I’m sure they’ll remind you that it all evens out in the end.
Today we still eat a lot of spinach, and I like incorporating it into recipes for a healthy boost. In this spinach and ricotta stuffed shells recipe, we combine quick sauteed spinach with creamy ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, all tucked in to extra-large pasta shells and baked to bubbly goodness. The result is a healthy and hearty baked pasta dish that makes for a crowd-pleasing vegetarian meal.
PrintSpinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
In this easy spinach and ricotta stuffed shells recipe, three cheeses combine with quick sauteed spinach and jumbo pasta shells for a hearty and comforting, crowd-pleasing vegetarian dinner.
Ingredients
- 16 jumbo pasta shells (Cook a couple of extra shells to allow for a few breaking while the pasta cooks.)
- 1–1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp fresh garlic, minced
- 4 cups (packed) fresh spinach leaves, roughly-chopped
- 12 oz skim-milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded skim-milk mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
- 1–1/4 cups marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown, about a minute or two. Add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leaves begin to wilt but are still bright green, about 3 to 4 minutes. The spinach should be reduced by half. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil and salt and pepper until thoroughly combined. Pour 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce into the bottom of a shallow 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish. Stuff each pasta shell with a generous amount of the spinach and ricotta mixture, and place in the baking dish.
- Cover with the remaining sauce and bake covered with aluminum foil for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top begins to brown and the sauce begins the bubble, another 10-15 minutes. Serve warm with a dusting of Parmesan.
Keywords: spinach stuffed shells, ricotta, baked pasta, easy dinner, vegetarian
Do you think ground beef could be substituted for the spinach? My cousin isn’t a big green person and my husband is a big meat eater. Regardless, can’t wait to try it tonight!
Hi Casey! Yes, you could absolutely add ground beef, just be sure it’s fully cooked and slightly cooled before adding it to the filling/shells. Hope you enjoy!
Such a nice dish! Why don’t you give more illustration photos or videos about this dish to show everyone how great these shells are?
★★★★
These were super yummy. I made two 8×8 pans full. I had made extra shell in case they split. So I had eight in one pan and nine or ten in another pan. Inside of using bottle sauce, yuck, I made Giada’s marinara sauce. She has two recipes for marinara but it is the same recipe but halved. I made the one that makes a quart. The only I added to her recipe is that I put in a can of Rotel tomatoes , just to kick it up a notch. These were excellent. I froze the other pan for another day. My husband and I had these for dinner with a garden salad and there is lots for leftovers.
This is an amazing recipe! I’m so glad I stumbled across it! Thank you!
★★★★★
Wow, this looks amazing and making these tomorrow!
★★★★★
Made this for mother’s day and it was such a hit! Added cubed/roasted butternut squash on top for more color, and they looked beautiful coming out of the oven. Even the (very) carnivorous males loved them and were satisfied
★★★★★
I made this for Sunday dinner and everyone really liked it. I tripled it and used more garlic, it was amazing. Even my husband, who doesn’t like garlic enjoyed it. I’ll make this agin for sure! Thanks for sharing your recipe
★★★★★
This is a great recipe. I’m having my “guy’s” vegetarian daughter and her friend over for dinner. The can be served with a side of meat sauce for us and plain sauce for our two guests. No fuss not bother. Thanks!
Excellent, easy, delicious recipe. Made it exactly as written, except added 1/2 lb ground beef to the cheese mixture (cooked it with the chopped spinach.) Will be a staple of my household!!
★★★★★
I believe I’ve made this for times now. My kids are always excited when I’m making it. A lady in line at the grocery became invious when she saw my ingredients. 😉 Thank you for this family favorite recipe. 🙂
★★★★★
This was really great!!! Not only was it one of the most easy recipes I’ve ever made, it tasted how I wanted it too! No cut corners in flavor. Thanks!
★★★★
So good!
★★★★★
Made this last night for dinner… One word, AMAZING!! This will become a regular in our meal rotation.
I forgot to add the egg, and didn’t notice until I posted this review that it was an ingredient, and substituted the mozzarella for herbed goat cheese. The filling was delicious enough to eat on its own, but nestled into the shells and sauce was pure decadence. Thanks for the recipe Laura!
★★★★★
Hi Laura,
I am having guests for dinner tomorrow night. Plan to make this dish, looks delicious. But I do not want the egg, can I use cream cheese as a binder instead? Is it ok to bake cream cheese for that long? Or is it better to just leave out the egg and proceed with the recipe? If so, for how long should I bake? Thanks much
Hi Divya! I think you could cream cheese or just omit the egg. I’d bake at the regular time and temp. The texture will change a little bit, but should still be yummy. Hope that helps!!
Have made this twice now and followed the receipe as listed except omitted Parmesan (kids don’t like). Turned out great both times. Will definitely be making these again and again.
★★★★★
Very tasty!! Used the ingredients as listed but winged the measurements. Only thing I did different was to sprinkle mozzarella and parmigiano on the top with some fresh basil. Will make again for sure.
★★★★★
amazing!! added an indian kick to it by adding jalapeno and my mom said shes so proud of what i created!! <3
★★★★★
This recipe was fantastic. I followed it exactly (except for the basil I used 1 tsp dried and used shredded Italiano instead of just mozzarella). I used Presidents Choice sweet basil pasta sauce and it was perfect. Everyone who ate it raved, I even took some to my coworkers who all want the recipe! Thanks, this will be made again and again!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Valarie!! So happy to hear that 🙂
Made this for a Christmas party last night. People raved about how delicious it was. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!!
5 Stars!!! (Website won’t let me pick 5, so I am doing it here.)
★★★★
Oh I’m so happy to hear that, Suzanne! Thank you and Merry Christmas!!
Delicious,
I am a man therefore lazy/looking for simplified processes. I use a piping bag or a large heavy duty Ziploc with the corner cut off to put the stuffing into the shells. It works and saves time.
Excelsior!!
★★★★★