Ricotta stuffed shells with spinach is an easy pasta recipe made with jumbo pasta shells filled with three types of cheese and spinach, all nestled in a rich, flavorful marinara sauce.
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Shell pasta, or Conchiglie, as Italians call these, are a super fun durum wheat pasta shape that you can fill with lots of goodies, including the creamy ricotta cheese.
The smallest shells are called conchigliette, and they’re fantastic for soups, but for this recipe we’re using the over-sized ones conchiglioni. For me, when it comes to shell pasta, the larger, the better!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients – Everything you need is easy to find at the store.
- No complicated steps – Just cook, mix, stuff, and bake. That’s it!
- Tastes amazing – Cheesy, saucy, and baked to perfection.
- Feeds a crowd – Great for sharing or saving leftovers.
Ingredients
These are the things you need to make ricotta stuffed shells with spinach!
- Jumbo shells pasta: These are big pasta shells that you can stuff with filling. They’re fun to eat and hold a lot of cheesy goodness.
- Olive oil: Just a little bit to cook the garlic and spinach. It helps everything soften and adds a nice flavor.
- Minced garlic: Gives the filling a nice, garlicky taste. You don’t need much, but it makes a big difference.
- Spinach: A handful of fresh spinach that cooks down quickly and mixes right into the cheese. It’s an easy way to sneak in some greens.
- Ricotta cheese: This is the creamy part of the filling. It’s soft, mild, and makes everything rich and cheesy.
- Parmesan cheese: Adds a little salty, cheesy kick. You’ll mix some into the filling and sprinkle a bit on top.
- Mozzarella cheese: The melty cheese! This is what makes the shells gooey and cheesy when they bake.
- Basil: A little fresh basil for extra flavor. If you don’t have it, don’t stress, it’s still good without it.
- Egg: This helps hold the filling together so it’s not too runny when baked.
- Salt & black pepper: Just a bit to season the filling so it’s not bland. Add more or less to your taste.
- Marinara sauce: The tomato sauce that makes everything saucy and delicious. You can use homemade or store-bought.
How to Make It
Today we’re stuffing jumbo shells pasta with ricotta cheese seasoned with garlic and flavored with spinach, mozzarella, Parmesan, salt and pepper. We’re throwing in a few fresh basil leaves too! Here’s what you need to know.
Step 1: Boil the pasta – Cook the shells in salted water until they’re just soft enough to stuff. Drain and set aside.
Step 2: Make the filling – Sauté the garlic and spinach in olive oil, then mix with ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, egg, salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Stuff the shells – Fill each shell with the ricotta mixture.
Step 4: Assemble the dish – Spread marinara sauce in a baking dish, place the stuffed shells on top, and add more sauce.
Step 5: Bake – Pop it in the oven until everything is warm and bubbly.
Tips for Success
- Don’t overcook the pasta since it will soften more in the oven, take it out while it’s still firm. In fact, remove and drain it a minute before you’d usually drain your pasta. It should be malleable but still slightly hard to the touch.
- Use good cheese – It makes a big difference in flavor.
- Make ahead – Stuff the shells in advance and bake when you’re ready.
Variations and Substitutions
Change up the sauce – Marinara is great, but a rich Bolognese or a spicy arrabbiata can take it in a whole new direction. You can even go for a creamy Alfredo-style sauce for a white-over-white stuffed conchiglie.
Mix up the filling – Try adding mushrooms, ground meat, or even a spoonful of pesto for extra flavor.
Give it some texture – A handful of crushed walnuts in the filling adds a little crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Although the dish won’t look exactly the same, you can still use other hollow pasta shapes, such as the tube-shaped cannelloni.
Yes, this easy stuffed shell pasta recipe is certainly is, but it’s not vegan. We’re using lots of cheese here, and we’re using an egg to give consistency to the stuffing.
If you have leftovers, cover the baking tray with aluminum foil and store it in the back of the fridge for up to three days. Reheat the baking tray in the oven or microwave individual servings.
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Recipe Card
Ricotta Stuffed Shells with Spinach
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Equipment
- large pot for boiling the pasta
- Colander to darin the cooked pasta
- Large pan
- Mixing bowl
- Baking dish
- Spoon or spatula
- Plastic bag (optional) ff you want an easier way to fill the shells, use a plastic bag with the corner cut off.
- Aluminum foil to cover the dish while baking.
Ingredients
- 16 pieces jumbo shells pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 cups spinach
- 12 ounces ricotta cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese reserve some for topping
- 1 cup shredded mozarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon basil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt (more or less according to taste)
- ½ teaspoon grounnd black pepper
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 375 degreese Farenheit. Cook pasta according to package instructions (al dente). Drain and set aside.16 pieces jumbo shells pasta
- Heat oil in a pan and saute garlic until soft and fragrant. Add in the spinach and cook until just wilted, let it cool.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 4 cups spinach
- In a bowl, combine the sauteed garlic and spinach (from step 2) together with the cheeses - ricotta, parmesan, mozarella. Also add in the egg, basil, salt and pepper. Mix well. Stuff your shells with the mixture, dividing them equally into 16 jumbo shells.12 ounces ricotta cheese, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 cup shredded mozarella cheese, 1 tablespoon basil, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon grounnd black pepper
- Pour half of the marinara sauce in a baking dish. Place the stuffed shells, lining them up in one layer. Pour the remaining marinara suace on top of the shells.1 ½ cups marinara sauce
- Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more until bubbly and brown. Top with more parmesan cheese before serving.
Notes
- Make it ahead – Fill the shells, put them in a dish, cover, and keep them in the fridge for up to a day. Bake when you're ready.
- Freezing – You can freeze the stuffed shells before baking. When you want to eat them, bake straight from frozen and just cook them a little longer.
- Storing leftovers – Keep any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
- Cheese swap – No ricotta? Use cottage cheese instead. Want it cheesier? Add more mozzarella on top.
- Filling the shells – No fancy tools needed! Use a spoon, or put the mixture in a plastic bag, cut a small hole in the corner, and squeeze it in.
- Calories: 807
- Protein: 52.2g
- Fat: 46.1g
- Carbohydrates: 38.2g
- Fiber: 1.8g
JANE RITCHUK says
Made this for our "Meatless Monday" dinner. Husband loved it. Actually made enough for another plateful which I froze for another meal. I thought it was mushy and bland.
Shem says
thank you! You can always season to taste and add more cheese when serving.