Ricotta and spinach stuffed shells (Printer-Friendly)

Jumbo shells stuffed with ricotta-spinach filling, baked in homemade tomato sauce with melted mozzarella.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 20 jumbo pasta shells
02 - Salt for boiling water

→ Filling

03 - 14 oz ricotta cheese
04 - 9 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 1 garlic clove, minced
08 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
09 - 1/2 tsp salt
10 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Tomato Sauce

11 - 24 oz tomato passata or crushed tomatoes
12 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
13 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
14 - 2 tbsp olive oil
15 - 1 tsp dried oregano
16 - 1/2 tsp dried basil
17 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Topping

18 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
19 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F.
02 - Cook the jumbo pasta shells in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, about 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and arrange on a tray to prevent sticking.
03 - Combine ricotta, squeezed spinach, Parmesan, egg, minced garlic, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined and smooth.
04 - Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in tomato passata, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes.
05 - Spread half of the tomato sauce evenly across the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish.
06 - Fill each shell with approximately 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of the ricotta-spinach mixture. Place filled shells in the baking dish in a single layer.
07 - Spoon remaining tomato sauce over the stuffed shells. Sprinkle mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese evenly on top.
08 - Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
10 - Allow stuffed shells to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The ricotta filling stays impossibly creamy while the pasta edges get just slightly crisp in spots
  • You can assemble everything ahead and bake when needed, making it perfect for feeding a crowd without the stress
02 -
  • Squeezing the spinach dry is the step that matters most, use your hands and really squeeze until no water comes out
  • Let the shells rest for at least five minutes after baking, otherwise the filling will ooze out when you cut into them
03 -
  • Use a piping bag or ziplock bag with the corner snipped to fill shells quickly and without the mess
  • Let the filling come to room temperature before stuffing so it pipes easily
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