Stuffed Shells with Ricotta and Spinach (Printable)

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

# What You'll 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 (or 10 oz fresh spinach, wilted and chopped)
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 set aside on a tray so they do not stick together.
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 in the bottom of a large baking dish (13x9 inch).
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. Sprinkle mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese on top.
08 - Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and golden.
10 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The combination of creamy ricotta filling with bright tomato sauce hits every comfort button without requiring any advanced techniques
  • This recipe makes excellent leftovers and actually tastes better the next day when flavors have had time to mingle
02 -
  • Breaking shells while stuffing them is practically a rite of passage, so cook a few extra just in case
  • The nutmeg in the filling is not optional, it is the secret ingredient that makes restaurant-style stuffed shells taste distinctly Italian
03 -
  • Use a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off to fill shells quickly and neatly without making a mess
  • Room temperature ingredients mix together more smoothly, so take your ricotta and egg out about 30 minutes before starting
Return