Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Shells (Printable)

Jumbo shells filled with ricotta-spinach mixture, baked in tomato sauce with melted cheese topping.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 20 jumbo pasta shells (conchiglioni)
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 - In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, squeezed spinach, Parmesan, egg, minced garlic, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth and set aside.
04 - Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato passata, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently for 10–15 minutes.
05 - Spread half of the tomato sauce evenly in the bottom of a large baking dish.
06 - Fill each shell with about 1.5–2 tablespoons of the ricotta-spinach mixture and arrange them in the baking dish.
07 - Spoon the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the stuffed shells.
08 - Sprinkle mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese on top.
09 - Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
10 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and golden.
11 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The ricotta filling stays incredibly creamy even after baking, never dry or grainy like some stuffed pasta can be
  • Everything comes together in about an hour but tastes like you spent all afternoon cooking
  • Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to become friends
02 -
  • Overcooking the shells before baking is the most common mistake, they will become mushy in the oven
  • Watery spinach from insufficient squeezing will make your filling separate and create a pool at the bottom of your baking dish
03 -
  • A piping bag makes filling the shells faster and less messy than using spoons
  • Room temperature ingredients mix more smoothly and prevent a grainy ricotta texture
Go back