Stuffed Ricotta Spinach Shells (Printable)

Jumbo shells filled with ricotta, spinach, baked in tomato sauce with mozzarella topping.

# 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 tsp ground nutmeg
09 - 1/2 tsp salt
10 - 1/4 tsp 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 tbsp olive oil
15 - 1 tsp dried oregano
16 - 1/2 tsp dried basil
17 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Topping

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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Set the oven temperature to 350°F.
02 - Boil salted water in a large pot and cook the jumbo pasta shells until slightly under al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and arrange on a tray to prevent sticking.
03 - In a bowl, combine ricotta, squeezed spinach, Parmesan, egg, minced garlic, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly until smooth and set aside.
04 - Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Stir in tomato passata, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes.
05 - Spread half of the tomato sauce evenly over the base of a large baking dish.
06 - Fill each pasta shell with about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of the ricotta-spinach mixture and arrange them closely in the baking dish over the sauce.
07 - Pour the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the filled shells. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese on top.
08 - Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
09 - Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
10 - Allow the baked shells to rest for 5 minutes prior to serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's the kind of dish that feels fancy enough for guests but actually comes together without fuss.
  • The creamy spinach filling strikes that perfect balance—rich but not heavy, especially when you squeeze the water from that spinach.
  • You can prep everything ahead and bake it off whenever you're ready, which is a game-changer for weeknight dinners.
02 -
  • Squeezing that spinach properly is non-negotiable—I once skipped this step and ended up with a watery filling that made the whole dish soggy.
  • Don't cook the shells all the way through; they'll finish in the oven and overcooking them now means mushy pasta later.
  • The foil matters; it keeps the dish from drying out while the shells absorb the sauce.
03 -
  • Use a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop to fill the shells—it's faster and more even than a spoon.
  • If a shell cracks during cooking, just nestle it into the sauce and no one will know the difference once it's baked.
Go back