Stuffed Ricotta Spinach Shells (Printable)

Jumbo shells filled with creamy ricotta, spinach, and baked with rich tomato sauce and melted cheese.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 20 jumbo pasta shells (conchiglioni)
02 - Salt for boiling water

→ Filling

03 - 14 oz ricotta cheese
04 - 9 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (or 10.5 oz fresh spinach, wilted and chopped)
05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 1 garlic clove, minced
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Tomato Sauce

11 - 24 oz tomato passata or crushed tomatoes
12 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
13 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
14 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
15 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
17 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Topping

18 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
19 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F.
02 - Boil salted water in a large pot and cook jumbo pasta shells until al dente, approximately 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and arrange shells on a tray to prevent sticking.
03 - In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, squeezed spinach, Parmesan, egg, minced garlic, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Stir until smooth and uniform.
04 - Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté finely chopped onion for about 3 minutes until soft. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Incorporate tomato passata, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes.
05 - Spread half of the tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a large baking dish.
06 - Fill each pasta shell with 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of the ricotta-spinach mixture and arrange them neatly in the baking dish.
07 - Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the stuffed shells, ensuring even coverage.
08 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese evenly atop the sauce-covered shells.
09 - Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
10 - Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
11 - Allow the dish to rest for 5 minutes before serving to let flavors meld.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks impressive enough for guests but feels comforting enough to make on a Tuesday night just for yourself.
  • The filling is so creamy and herb-forward that even people skeptical about spinach will ask for seconds.
  • Everything comes together in under two hours, and most of that is just the oven doing the work.
02 -
  • Squeezing the spinach truly dry is non-negotiable; I learned this the hard way when my first attempt came out soupy and the shells fell apart.
  • Cooking the shells slightly underdone is the secret to perfect texture; overcooked shells become mushy no matter what you do to them.
  • The resting period after baking is worth the wait; cutting into it immediately will cause everything to tumble apart.
03 -
  • Make the filling and sauce a few hours ahead; they actually taste better when the flavors have time to get to know each other, and you'll have less stress during assembly.
  • If you don't have a baking dish of the exact size, it matters less than you think—just make sure the shells are snug enough that they don't tip over but not so crowded that they steam instead of bake.
Go back