Spinach-Ricotta Stuffed Shells

By Rachel // August 15, 2014 // 64 comments // Share

Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with spinach and ricotta. An easy and flavorful dinner for any night of the week!

It’s so easy to get in dinner ruts, or just a rut for any meal of the day, really. But we’re talking dinner today. Typically we rotate through a lot of the same meals, as I’m sure most people do. But it’s so easy to get bored of the same stuff. Tacos every week? That can get old in a hurry.

Two things that never get old… pizza and pasta. My love for those is strong.

There are so many fun options. Whether we’re talking toppings for pizza. Thin or thick crust. Maybe even deep dish. Or when it comes to pasta… sauces, add-ins, fillings. Do you want a casserole, baked, bubbly and topped off with cheese or sauce? So many delicious options and possibilities!

I hadn’t played around with shells in a while. In fact, the last time I made a stuffed shells recipe was when I shared these buffalo chicken stuffed shells… a long time ago. Shells were long overdue, clearly.

A perfect dinner for any night of the week. Easy ricotta and spinach stuffed shells, cooked in your favorite tomato sauce and topped off with a layer of mozzarella cheese. The entire family will love these! And a big bonus, they reheat beautifully, making them a great leftovers for lunch the next day!

Print Recipe

Spinach-Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Cheesy ricotta and spinach stuffed shells are an easy and flavorful dinner for any night of the week.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Dinner, Pasta

Servings: 3 plus

Ingredients

• 12 jumbo pasta shells
• 10 oz frozen spinach
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 1/2 C Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 26 oz tomato sauce
• 1 C whole milk mozzarella cheese shredded
• Fresh basil for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cook 12-16 jumbo pasta shells according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, microwave frozen spinach for 2-3 minutes. Break up with a fork and cook for an additional minute if necessary to heat through. Place spinach into the center of a sheet of cheese cloth. Rest wrapped spinach in a wire strainer set over a medium bowl. Allow spinach to cool before squeezing out liquid.
• In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, salt, pepper and egg. Combine well. Mix in drained spinach. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Drain pasta. Add roughly 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce to the bottom of a 2 quart rectangular baking dish. Divide ricotta mixture among 12 shells. Top off with additional sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is fully melted and shells are heated through. Garnish with chopped fresh basil. Serve warm.

Notes

Recipe serves 3-4.

*For easier stuffing, add ricotta mixture to a large plastic bag or piping bag with corner snipped off. Squeeze filling into shells.

An original recipe from Baked by Rachel