This classic Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Shells recipe is cozy, creamy and great for meal prepping in advance! Jumbo pasta shells are stuffed with a creamy ricotta and spinach filling and swimming in a delicious marinara sauce. So simple but delicious!
Of all the comfort foods, pasta is up there with my absolute favourites! Add to it creamy ricotta (cheese lovers, where you at?) and spinach (my favourite green veggie) and a smooth marinara sauce- SO GOOD!
Stuffed shells are a fun dish that is pretty easy to make and so delicious and cozy! My husband requests these frequently and I am more than happy to comply! He even likes to help scoop the filling into the shells which makes the prep that much quicker. If you’ve got kiddos, this is definitely something fun to do in the kitchen with them!
Stuffed shells make a delicious meal the whole family will love. We love to serve them with a fresh salad and call it a day! Yum!
How to make Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Shells
To make these stuffed shells, you will need:
- 1 250g package jumbo pasta shells
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup spinach, chopped
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon chopped basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups marinara sauce
To start, I preheat the oven to 350F. I spoon the marinara sauce onto the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish. I then bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta shells according to package directions.
While the pasta is boiling, I take advantage of the time and get my filling ready! In a bowl, I mix ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, mozzarella, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. I taste it to ensure its seasoned well and adjust it if needed. Then I stir in an egg until well combined.
Tip: When mixing fillings, I highly recommend leaving out the egg until the very end, that way you can actually taste it before it goes in the oven (since it wouldn’t be safe to try it with the raw egg in the mixture). This helps ensure your dish comes out perfectly seasoned without any surprises!
By this time the pasta is cooked. I drain it an drizzle a baking sheet with oil and set pasta shells on it to cool. You can also run them under a cold water if you want to speed up the process.
I then arrange the cooled pasta shells in the baking dish. I spoon the ricotta mixture into each shell and then sprinkle it with more mozzarella cheese.
It all bakes in the oven for 25 minutes and then its ready to serve!
That’s it!
I hope you enjoy this comfort dish as much as I do! Bon appetit!
-Cathy
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Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 250 g jumbo pasta shells
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup spinach chopped
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon basil chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spoon the marinara sauce onto the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish.
- Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain. Drizzle a baking sheet with oil and set pasta shells on it to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, mozzarella, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir in an egg until well combined.
- Arrange cooled pasta shells in the baking dish. Spoon ricotta mixture into each shell. Sprinkle with more mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Serve.
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.
