Description
Delicious and creamy stuffed jumbo pasta shells filled with ricotta, spinach, and a blend of cheeses, baked in a rich marinara sauce. Perfect for a comforting dinner that the whole family will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 18-20 jumbo pasta shells
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups spinach
- 15 oz. Ricotta cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1 egg
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- Fresh parsley, to garnish
Seasonings
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to get it ready for baking the stuffed shells.
- Cook Pasta Shells: Boil the jumbo pasta shells in salted water for about 13 minutes, which is 1 minute less than al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool to stop cooking and prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Sauté Spinach and Garlic: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add spinach and cook for about 3 minutes until wilted. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Prepare Cheese Filling: In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese with salt, pepper, dried basil, dried parsley, and dried oregano. Stir in half the mozzarella, most of the Parmesan (reserve a bit for topping), cream cheese, and egg until well blended. Fold in the cooled spinach and garlic mixture.
- Assemble Dish: Spread half of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Spoon the cheese mixture into each cooked pasta shell and arrange them in the baking dish.
- Top and Bake: Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the stuffed shells. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the cover and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley before serving. Serve hot, ideally with garlic bread or a fresh salad.
Notes
- Boil extra pasta shells to account for any that break during cooking or handling.
- Spinach is optional but adds great flavor and nutrition; frozen spinach can be used if thawed and patted dry first.
- For a meat version, use meat sauce instead of marinara.
- Shredding cheese from blocks yields better melting and flavor compared to pre-shredded cheese.
- Low-moisture whole milk mozzarella works best for texture and meltability.
- Recommended brands are Dragone for mozzarella, BelGioioso for Parmesan, Philadelphia for cream cheese, and Rao’s for marinara sauce.
- This recipe serves 6, with approximately 3 stuffed shells per serving.
- You can prepare the dish up to one day ahead and refrigerate it; add 15 minutes to baking time if doing so.
- For freezing, assemble and freeze for up to 3 months; thaw fully in the fridge before baking and add 10 minutes to the covered baking time.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 stuffed shells
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
