Veggie Stuffed Shells
Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with a ricotta-spinach mixture, baked in marinara sauce until bubbling and golden. Comfort food that hides three servings of vegetables per portion. The trick is using room-temperature ricotta — cold ricotta clumps and you can't fill the shells evenly.
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
28 min
Servings
6
Calories
336 cal
🛠 Interactive Recipe Tools — Use them right here on this page
Smart Servings Scaler
- Pasta Shells1 ½
- Cheese1 ½ cup
- Spinach3 cups
- Onion1 ½ medium
- Garlic4 ½ cloves
- Parsley1 ½
- Oregano1 ½
- Salt1 ½ tsp
- Black Pepper¾ tsp
All quantities scaled automatically from 6 servings.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings · Use the Servings Scaler above to adjust
- Pasta Shells1.5
- Cheese1.5 cup
- Spinach3 cups
- Onion1.5 medium
- Garlic4.5 cloves
- Parsley1.5
- Oregano1.5
- Salt1.5 tsp
- Black Pepper0.75 tsp
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 20 jumbo pasta shells for 8 minutes — slightly less than the package says, since they'll finish in the oven. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and make them handleable.
- 2
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Sauté 8 oz of chopped spinach (fresh or thawed frozen, squeezed dry) for 3 minutes with 3 minced garlic cloves and a pinch of nutmeg. Cool slightly.
- 3
In a bowl, mix 2 cups of room-temperature ricotta, the sautéed spinach, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, ½ cup of grated Parmesan, 1 beaten egg, 1.5 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, and a handful of chopped fresh basil.
- 4
Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Use a small spoon to fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture. Arrange seam-side up in the dish.
- 5
Top with another 2 cups of marinara sauce, ensuring it gets between the shells. Sprinkle with another cup of shredded mozzarella and ¼ cup of grated Parmesan. Cover with foil.
- 6
Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes covered, then uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Rest 5 minutes before serving — the sauce is volcanic right out of the oven.
Watch how to make Veggie Stuffed Shells
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💡 Expert Tips
- 1.Room-temperature ricotta. Cold ricotta is clumpy and impossible to spread inside delicate shells. Pull it from the fridge an hour before.
- 2.Slightly under-cook the shells. They'll finish in the oven for 35 minutes — fully cooked shells turn to mush. Aim for al dente minus one minute.
- 3.Squeeze the spinach hard. Watery spinach leaks into the ricotta mixture and makes it impossible to handle. Press very dry.
- 4.Cover then uncover. The 25 minutes covered allows the shells to heat through and absorb sauce. The final 10-15 uncovered minutes brown the cheese top.
🔬 Why It Works
Stuffed shells are baked pasta engineered for maximum filling-to-pasta ratio. The shell's curved shape holds a substantial scoop without spilling. Ricotta is the binder — its creamy mildness lets the spinach, garlic, and herbs shine through. Egg sets the filling during baking so it doesn't ooze out. Mozzarella and Parmesan in the filling provide pull-apart stretch and salty depth; on top, they brown into a crust. The two-stage bake (covered then uncovered) ensures both even heating and a properly browned surface.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Best marinara sauce?▾
4.2
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Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 6 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 6 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
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