Stuffed Shells

Each jumbo pasta shell is generously stuffed with a creamy mix of ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, sautéed spinach, and nestled into a skillet of rich marinara sauce. After a quick trip to the oven, the stuffed shells come out bubbling with melty cheese and fragrant marinara. Serve with homemade garlic dinner rolls.

 

Stuffed Shells that stand out from the crowd!

Pasta is one of my favorite things to cook, and I always try to make my pasta dishes somewhat unique. For this recipe, I’m using jumbo shells (conchiglioni) stuffed with a classic spinach and ricotta filling, but with a few twists:

• I use toasted pine nuts both in the filling and on top of the shells to add a rich, nutty crunch.
• I sauté the garlic and spinach before adding them to the ricotta mixture, to enhance flavor and reduce moisture, keeping the filling firm. Fresh lemon zest and juice brighten the overall flavor.
• No-boil shortcut: I cook the shells just shy of al dente to prevent over-softening. This method ensures that the shells retain their structure and absorb the marinara sauce without falling apart. 
• I use high-quality ingredients like freshly grated mozzarella, parmesan, and premium marinara sauce (such as Rao's or Mezzetta) to elevate the dish to restaurant-quality.

The Ingredients

• Fresh ingredients: You'll need garlic, fresh spinach, an egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and fresh basil for garnish.
• Pantry: You'll need jumbo pasta shells (Conchiglioni), olive oil, salt, pepper, and pine nuts.
• Dairy: I use ricotta cheese, low-moisture mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese.
• Tomato sauce: Use a high-quality store-bought marinara - I recommend Rao's or Mezzetta brands.
• Tip: the below photo depicts every single ingredient you need. Take a screenshot for your shopping list!

How To Make Stuffed Shells (step-by-step photos)

Note: This is a step-by-step overview. Find the full recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.

Preheat the oven to 375°F and cook the jumbo shells just shy of al dente—they’ll finish up in the oven. In a skillet, sauté garlic and spinach with a little salt and pepper until wilted (smashing it with a spatula speeds things up).

In a medium bowl, mix the spinach with ricotta, mozzarella, parm, an egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and toasted pine nuts—because we’re fancy like that. Pour marinara into the same skillet.

Stuff those shells generously, and nestle them into the sauce. Cover, bake until bubbly, then uncover for the final golden touch. Finish with more parm, basil, and the rest of the pine nuts. Serve immediately!

Tips for Success

1. You are welcome to top the stuffed shells with more grated mozzarella if you like, but it can overwhelm the delicate texture and flavor of the spinach and ricotta if used in large quantities.
2. Make sure to cook the shells al dente! If you fully cook them before baking, you will overcook them in the final bake, making them mealy and dry.
3. If the ricotta is too wet, you can drain the excess moisture using cheese cloth or a strainer.
4. Try not to overfill the shells. If there’s a lot bulging out, scoop a little out. 
5. If you can only find untoasted and unsalted pine nuts, toast them in a pan on medium heat with no oil. Make sure to stir every 30 seconds so they don’t burn. Once they’ve become a touch brown, sprinkle them with salt and remove them immediately to a flat tray or plate to cool before using them in the recipe.

Serve with

• Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls
• Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad with Mozzarella and Basil Pesto
• Tomato Cucumber Lettuce Salad
• Easy Homemade White Bread (made in a bread machine)
• Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs
• Blackened Shrimp
• Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts

4.60 from 5 votes

Stuffed Shells

Jumbo pasta shells are stuffed with a creamy ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and sautéed spinach filling, then baked in a rich marinara sauce until bubbling with melty cheese. Pair with homemade garlic dinner rolls!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6

Calories per serving 369 kcal

Author: Julia

Ingredients

• 20 jumbo pasta shells (conchiglioni) cooked to al dente
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 6 oz fresh spinach
• 1 egg
• 15 oz ricotta cheese whole or skim milk container
• ⅔ cup low-moisture mozzarella cheese freshly grated
• ⅔ cup parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
• ⅔ cup toasted salted pine nuts divided
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of ½ lemon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups marinara sauce we recommend Rao’s or Mezzetta brand
• fresh basil finely chopped, for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Follow the cooking directions on your jumbo pasta shells package, but make sure to cook them just slightly under to al dente.
• In a medium cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the garlic and spinach with a pinch of salt and pepper together until the spinach is wilted. You can smash the spinach with a spatula to help more moisture evaporate during cooking. If the spinach leaves are large, make sure to chop it roughly.
• Combine the spinach and garlic in a large bowl with the egg, ricotta, mozzarella, parm, ½ cup pine nuts, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour the marinara into the same cast iron skillet, stuff the shells with the spinach ricotta mixture, about 2 heaping tablespoons per shell, and place them into the sauce.
• Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the marinara is bubbling and the pasta has cooked through. Remove the foil, and bake for another 5 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, garnish with parmesan cheese, remaining pine nuts, and freshly chopped basil.

Nutrition

Nutrition Information

Stuffed Shells

Amount per Serving

Calories

369

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

28

g

43

%

Saturated Fat

 

11

g

69

%

Trans Fat

 

0.003

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

6

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

9

g

Cholesterol

 

79

mg

26

%

Sodium

 

746

mg

32

%

Potassium

 

605

mg

17

%

Carbohydrates

 

12

g

4

%

Fiber

 

2

g

8

%

Sugar

 

4

g

4

%

Protein

 

20

g

40

%

Vitamin A

 

3534

IU

71

%

Vitamin C

 

14

mg

17

%

Calcium

 

413

mg

41

%

Iron

 

3

mg

17

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Disclaimer:

The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Keyword stuffed shells

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Substitutions

• Cottage cheese: This cheese can be lighter in fat content than ricotta. However, it is often wetter. Make sure to drain it for at least 10 minutes in either a strainer or cheese cloth prior to using.
• Mascarpone: For a creamier richer alternative, replace the ricotta with mascarpone.
• Kale, Swiss Chard, Arugula, Frozen Spinach: You can replace the fresh spinach with any of these other options. For the frozen spinach, make sure to defrost it and remove all of the moisture prior to mixing.
• Manicotti Tubes: You can fill par-cooked manicotti tubes with the spinach ricotta mixture if you have a hard time finding jumbo pasta shells.
• Vodka sauce, meat sauce: You are welcome to use any other kind of tomato sauce for this recipe!
• Garlic parm bread crumb topping: If you want to sub the pine nuts for another crunchy topping, a delicious alternative is to combine about 1 cup of bread crumbs, 1 minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of butter, a little salt and pepper into a small pan and toast slightly. Sprinkle this on your stuffed shells prior to baking. 
• Frozen spinach: You can replace fresh spinach with the same amount of frozen spinach. Just make sure it’s completely thawed and all water has been squeezed out.

Variations

• Spicy: If you want to add some spice, feel free to add ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper into the spinach ricotta mixture!
• Meat: You can add some ground turkey, chicken, beef, or pork to this recipe to add even more protein!
• Vegan: If you have access to vegan cheeses, feel free to replace all of the cheese with your favorite vegan types.
• Pesto: You can add pesto to either or both your ricotta stuffing and marinara prior to baking!

Storage & Reheating Instructions

• To refrigerate: The cooled pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 
• To freeze, place the pasta in an airtight container. You can freeze the pasta for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
• To reheat, place the pasta on a microwave safe plate, cover with a paper towel to prevent splatter, and heat between 30 seconds to 1 minute or until it reaches your desired temperature.

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