Description
A comforting and beginner-friendly recipe featuring jumbo pasta shells stuffed with creamy ricotta, spinach, and cheese, baked in rich marinara sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 jumbo pasta shells
- 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (plus extra for topping)
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped (or ½ cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Cook the jumbo pasta shells in salted water until al dente, then drain and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add spinach and cook until wilted (if fresh) or heated through (if frozen). Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, mix ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, egg, nutmeg (if using), and the spinach mixture until well combined.
- Spread a layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Stuff each shell with the ricotta-spinach filling and place seam side up in the dish.
- Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the shells and sprinkle with extra mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Garnish with fresh basil or parsley before serving.
Notes
- Make ahead by assembling the dish and refrigerating before baking.
- Use a piping bag or zip-top bag to fill shells easily.
- If cheese browns too quickly, cover with foil.
- Frozen spinach must be well-drained to avoid watery filling.
- Great for freezing and reheating for future meals.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 465
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 1058mg
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0.01g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 27g
- Cholesterol: 119mg