Ricotta Stuffed Shells with Spinach

These ricotta stuffed shells are such a fun weeknight dinner that can be prepped in about 15 minutes! The secret to getting this Sunday night dinner worthy meal on the table any day of the week is that you don’t have to boil the pasta before stuffing it!

You Will Love These

• The moisture from the red sauce and water is going to cook the jumbo shell noodles to al dente perfection right in the baking dish! This means you don’t need to fill a pot with water, wait for the water to boil, cook the noodles or strain the noodles. Save yourself the time and hassle of boiling the noodles and just fill them uncooked. Nestle them in classic tomato sauce, top with shredded cheese and bake to al dente perfection in the oven!
• It also means that you won’t have to try to hang on to slippery noodles and somehow magically fill them with the cheesy spinach filling. Uncooked noodles are obviously much easier to hold and fill – so you’re welcome!
• If you loved this easy recipe, be sure to check out my:
  • 20 Minute Penne Pomodoro
  • No Boil Cheesy Manicotti
  • One Pot Garlic Parmesan Linguine

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Onion + Garlic – If you’re in a pinch, feel free to skip the sautéed onion and garlic, but it is going to elevate the flavor of the overall dish – especially the store-bought spaghetti sauce.
• Dried Herbs – I love to use a combination of dried oregano and dried sage in this recipe. You could also use Italian seasoning in place of those two herbs.
• Spaghetti Sauce – Feel free to use your favorite store-bought pasta sauce or homemade marinara sauce.
• Spinach – Use fresh baby spinach instead of frozen spinach for this ricotta stuffed shells recipe as frozen spinach will release too much moisture.
• Whole Milk Ricotta – I really prefer whole milk ricotta over part skim ricotta cheese. It has a ton more flavor and the texture is creamier.
• Mozzarella Cheese – Again, whole milk mozzarella will give you the best flavor, but part-skim works as well.
• Parmesan Cheese – I find that freshly shredded Parmesan melts the best so I like to shave or shred it myself.
• Egg – The egg is going to act as a binder for the filling and make sure that everything holds together well.
• Jumbo Pasta Shells – The best part about this recipe is that you don’t have to boil the noodles before filling them! This will save prep time and the starch from the pasta will also ensure that the ricotta stuffed shells hold together well after baking.

Instructions

Sauté onion in olive oil along with a pinch of salt and pepper for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add garlic, oregano and sage. Cook for another minute or so.

Add spaghetti sauce.

Pour in water.

Add fresh chopped parsley or fresh basil and stir to combine.

Add spinach, ricotta, about 1/2 of the mozzarella, all of the Parmesan, egg and a pinch of salt and pepper to a large bowl.

Mix until well combined.

Fill each uncooked pasta shell with a couple tablespoons of the cheese mixture.

Nestle stuffed jumbo shells into the sauce in a single layer. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and cover with tin foil or a lid.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until noodles are al dente. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese if desired.

Tips

• Fill the empty 24 oz. pasta sauce jar halfway (with 12 oz. of water) then shake the water up in the pasta jar and pour the water into the pan. This will ensure that you get all remaining marinara sauce out of that jar!
• Shred your own cheese. Buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself!
  Pre-shredded cheeses are coated with cellulose to help the shreds not stick together. Which also means that it won’t melt as well. I’ve often found that buying cheese in blocks is cheaper than pre-shredded too!
• Feel free to add browned ground beef or Italian sausage to the pasta sauce mixture if you want to get some extra protein. I love to add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce as well for a little kick!

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

• Make-Ahead: Feel free to make these ricotta stuffed shells up to 24 hours in advance and store them in your fridge until you’re ready to bake. Then just follow the baking instructions below. Plan to add a few extra minutes of baking since the pasta will be going into the oven cold.
• Storage: Store leftover baked stuffed shells in the fridge for up to a week.
• Reheating: Reheat leftover shells covered in the oven at a low temperature – around 300-350 degrees – until warmed through. You can also reheat them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds at a time until heated through.

FAQ

Try these easy pasta recipes next!

This post was originally published in November 2018. It was updated in October 2019 to include process shots, step-by-step instructions and tips for making the best stuffed shells every single time!