Stuffed Shells with Spinach, Ricotta, and Mozzarella
Jumbo pasta shells packed with creamy ricotta, melty mozzarella cheese, and spinach, topped with spaghetti sauce. This delicious recipe comes together quickly to make an easy weeknight meal.
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Cheesy comfort food that will be a crowd favorite on your dinner table. This stuffed shells recipe is make-ahead and freezer-friendly, and leftovers reheat really well.
Stuffed Shells Ingredients
- Large Pasta Shells – Sometimes called Jumbo shell pasta
- Marinara Sauce – Your favorite store-bought sauce or you can make homemade ahead of time. Here’s MY RECIPE
- Ricotta Cheese – If you don’t like ricotta, cottage cheese that’s been blended in the food processor could work here too.
- Frozen Spinach
- Mozzarella
- Parmesan Cheese – The grated kind is best for this recipe
- Italian Seasoning
How to Make the Best Stuffed Shells with Spinach & Ricotta
This recipe comes together easily, with minimal chopping. You’ll find the full recipe below, but here’s a rundown:
- Cook the jumbo shells in a large pot of salted water. Cook the shells until they’re almost al dente—in other words, we want them nicely pliable but still a little crunchy. They’ll finish cooking in the oven and soak up some of that delicious sauce.
- Microwave the frozen spinach to thaw. Then squeeze out any excess water in a calendar or a dish towel.
- Then, mix up the filling. Ricotta cheese, spinach, Italian seasoning, parmesan, and mozzarella cheese.
- Stuff each shell with a generous spoonful of the spinach filling and place them in nice little rows on the marinara-lined baking dish.
- Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the shells. They don’t need to be completely covered. Top them off with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Bake, and serve.
Bust out your largest pot and baking dish for this recipe. Ideally, use a 5.5-quart or larger Dutch oven or stockpot to boil the pasta. Finally, you’ll need an extra-large baker (even larger than 9 by 13 inches)
To save time, use store-bought marinara sauce. My favorites are Rao’s (it comes in as a pretty close to my homemade marinara) but any will do. I try to avoid marinaras with added sugar since it’s unnecessary. Or, make my homemade marinara sauce the night before.
Save time (and money) by using frozen greens. Frozen greens are less expensive and work perfectly well for this recipe. Just defrost them in a colander under running water or in the microwave, squeeze out excess water, and it’s good to go.
These shells make great leftovers! Store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
How to freeze Stuffed Shells
Layer the shells in a disposable or freezer-friendly baking dish. Top with the remaining sauce and the cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Label and date it and freeze it flat. When you’re ready to bake you can pull it straight out from the freezer. Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake for another 20-30 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the cheese begins to brown and the sauce is bubbling. If you’re unsure, take one shell out and cut it in half and make sure the inside is hot.
You can also thaw the frozen shells overnight in the refrigerator and then follow the baking instructions on the recipe.
Printable Recipe Card
Stuffed Shells with Spinach, Ricotta, and Mozzarella
Ingredients
- 1 box of Large Pasta Shells – Sometimes called Jumbo shell pasta
- 1 jar of Marinara Sauce – Your favorite store-bought sauce or you can make homemade ahead of time. Here's MY RECIPE
- 1 15 oz container of Ricotta Cheese
- 1 10 oz bag of Frozen Spinach
- 2 cups of shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 1 cup of Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1 Tablespoon of Italian Seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add in the shells. Cook the shells until they’re almost al dente—in other words, we want them nicely pliable but still a little crunchy. Follow the instructions on the box. They’ll finish cooking in the oven and soak up some of that delicious sauce.
- Microwave the frozen spinach to thaw or run it under cool water. Then squeeze out any excess water in a colander or a dish towel.
- Then, mix up the filling. In a large bowl mix the ricotta cheese, spinach, Italian seasoning, 3/4 cup parmesan, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- In a 9×13 pan add 1/4 or 1/2 of the marinara. It should be enough to nicely cover the bottom of the pan.
- Stuff each shell with a generous spoonful of the spinach filling and place them in nice little rows on the marinara-lined baking dish with the opening facing up.
- Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the shells. They don’t need to be completely covered. Top them off with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Bake for about 20-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned and the shells are fully cooked. Serve with a side salad and some crusty bread and enjoy!