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
These are amazing! All 3 of my kids ate them up and my husband kept complimenting me on dinner:) thanks for sharing this recipe, it’s a family staple now!
I didn’t have fresh basil so I had to use dried, and I used bacon grease to saute the garlic and spinach in. Other than that, I followed it to a T.
★★★★★
I love this recipe! I follow it to a T and comes out perfect every time! I do crumble hot Italian sausage in a pan and cook that, then separate the recipe in half and do half veggie (only spinach) and half with the added sausage! SOOO delicious! Have used this recipe so many times and never fails me 🙂
I love how this recipe can be done on a weeknight and it turned out super delicious. I only changed the mozz and sub’d in pearl fresh mozz, 8 oz pouch. It was less expensive so I went for it.
★★★★★
Holy. Crap. This recipe is amazing! I made my own marinara sauce, used frozen spinach, and sprinkled the leftover mozzarella on top, with a quick broil at the end. Everyone absolutely loved it. I do agree that it takes longer than stated to put together, but it can also be prepared well ahead of time, and I literally eyeballed everything. Five solid stars!
★★★★★
Can you freeze the stuffed shells?
I love this recipe and so does the whole family. 🙂 I sometimes use frozen spinach instead.
★★★★★
It did take me a bit longer to make since you need to stuff individual shells but it was delicious.
★★★★
Delish! A favourite in my family.
★★★★★
This recipe is in my top 5 favorites. I’ve been making it for years and it is always a hit! I like to add mushrooms to mine.
★★★★★
So happy to hear that! Thanks, Sarah!!
Made this recipe more than once and the family loves it. It is a little messy stuffing the shells but well worth the time.
★★★★★
I’ve been making this recipe for a long time and it’s always a major hit in our house! We love spinach, and the mixture works well in lasagna too. I’m actually not a big ricotta fan, but the additional ingredients give it a much more palatable texture for me to enjoy!
As others have said, you dont have to exact in your measurements. I usually make a double batch and freeze part of the mixture. It holds up well and then I have it ready for a weeknight when I don’t have as much time!
Italian sausage tastes really yummy with this as do meatballs. I usually throw in one or the other while baking it to make my husband happy. 😉
★★★★★
This is straight-up the best “impress your neighbors” recipe out there! So good, and leftovers taste just as great! Definitely a favorite at our house.
★★★★★
Made this the other night. We loved it!
★★★★★
**for a time saver, use a block of frozen spinach and toss in the microwave. Less to clean up and makes prep time shrink**
I’ve been making this for s few years now and it always gets rave reviews! The best part is nothing needs to be measured precisely. One can simply dump everything together loosely measured and season to taste. So good! Thank you for a delicious and quick weeknight hit!
★★★★★
I left a previous review, but after making it again I wanted to add some things. First of all there is no way that 16 jumbo stuffed shells fit into an 8 x 8 pan. (others have mentioned that) I was serving 12 people so I increased the amount of the ingredients and fit 22 jumbo shells (squeezing them) into a 9 x 13 inch pan. I used a big bag of baby spinach from Trader Joe’s, it cooks down so much and then you don’t have leftovers, more garlic and more fresh basil. Also used the entire 16 oz container of ricotta and most of 1 26 oz jar of marinara. One of my main complaints about recipes is the “prep time”. Not just this recipe, but most of them. There is no way you can put this together in 15 min unless you have all of the ingredients out and measured, chopped and ready to go. So be sure you plan accordingly. To me all of that gathering, measuring and chopping needs to be added to the prep time. I think it took me 15 minutes just to stuff the shells and put them in the pan. All that being said it is a great recipe, so easy to make ahead and refrigerate, then put into cook just before serving. It served 12 easily with enough left over for my lunch the next day. For the meat eaters I put a couple of bags of Trader Joe’s Italian style meatballs in the crockpot with more of the marina sauce in the morning.
★★★★★
I shove it all in a food processor (and any stray mushrooms or herbs in fridge) – blitz for a few seconds – put in a baggie, snip, fill, pour jar sauce over, pop in oven, 10 minutes out top with melty cheese. It might get more flavor if you brown the garlic, but I also put in some powered garlic and onion for added flavor. Use fresh spinach and you’ve got plenty of moisture to cook the pasta. Not worth the fuss to precook anything. I reckon I can get it all done and in oven and cleanup in dishwasher in 10! Cannelloni works same way – better still involve the kids and they can make dinner! It’s the go to for vegetarian company.
I really welcomed this advice. With a small child at home, I tried this quick method. I didn’t precook the shells either. The only thing I would add to this above review is to suggest adding some water along with some extra sauce so that there’s enough moisture for the pasta to cook. Took an hour, covered with foil except the last ten minutes so that the cheese could nicely brown. We loved it! Thanks for a great recipe and for this fast prep tip!
★★★★★
has anyone ever made it with cottage cheese in place of ricotta. I sometimes do in lasagna so was wondering if it would work in these.
★★★★★
Every time! I followed this recipe, but instead of replacing the ricotta – I just add some additional cottage cheese! Yum!
I’m making this again tonight for my Bunco group. Very tasty! I did add extra spinach, extra fresh basil and a pinch of nutmeg as one reviewer suggested. The really great part is how easy it is to put together ahead of time, have everything cleaned up and just pop in the oven before all ready to go.
★★★★★
Made this tonight and we all loved it! Will definitely make again. Recipe was clear and easy to follow.
★★★★★
The day I found this recipe it absolutely changed my life. Everyone that has ever tried this recipe (including myself) has said “These are amazing, they taste better then going to a restaurant”. I’m not one to brag about my cooking but these stuffed shells are so amazing and make me feel like I’m a brilliant chef 🙂 I make these all the time year round! I follow the recipe step by step and it has never failed me!
Thanks
★★★★★
It was an ok recipie. Not to flavorful though. Kind of bland.
★★★