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Spinach stuffed shells is an easy and healthy vegetarian dinner recipe that can be prepared in advance! With three types of cheese, the ultimate cozy, family-friendly meal is a hearty and satisfying meatless dish that’s perfect for hungry appetites.
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Looking for even more stuffed shells recipes? Be sure to try these classic stuffed pasta shells, a pan of taco stuffed shells, and these chicken stuffed shells, too!
How to Make Spinach Stuffed Shells | 1-Minute Video
If you’re trying to eat less meat, or if you’re serving supper to a vegetarian guest, it helps to have a few good go-to recipes that you know everyone will enjoy. These easy spinach stuffed shells do not disappoint!
What are stuffed shells?
This Italian-inspired dish includes Jumbo Shells pasta, which has been stuffed with a variety of ingredients and baked with sauce and cheese in a casserole dish. Spinach and cheese is a classic stuffed shells filling, but you might also find beef and ricotta stuffed shells or sausage and cheese stuffed shells.
Is manicotti the same as shells?
While these two Italian stuffed pasta dishes are quite similar, there are a few specific differences. Manicotti, which literally translates to “little muffs,” are large tubes of pasta designed for stuffing.
By contrast, stuffed shells are made with conchiglioni pasta, the larger version of conchiglie, which means “conch shells.” The jumbo shells have thin ridges set close together, and are typically stuffed with a combination of meat, cheeses, and vegetables. Unlike the tubes of manicotti, jumbo pasta shells can hold an amount of stuffing equal to the size and shape of an egg.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for stuffed shells with spinach. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Jumbo pasta shells: I always cook the entire 12-ounce box, but you might not need all of them. It just depends on how full you stuff each shell, and how tightly you pack them in the dish. Some shells tend to break or rip in the cooking process, so it’s nice to have extras.
- Frozen chopped spinach: thawed and squeezed really dry in a dish towel so that you don’t end up with a watery lasagna filling. See my notes below if you’d like to use fresh spinach.
- Ricotta cheese: forms the base of the thick, creamy, cheesy filling. You can substitute with small curd cottage cheese for a lighter option.
- Mozzarella cheese: for even more cheesy flavor.
- Egg: helps bind the ricotta filling so that it doesn’t ooze out of the pasta.
- Basil, salt, and garlic powder: for even more flavor.
- Marinara sauce: pick a high-quality store-bought jar or make homemade marinara sauce.
How to Make Spinach Stuffed Shells
While they might look fancy, I assure you — if you can boil pasta, you can make this recipe! Plus, it’s a great prep-ahead option for busy nights. Stash the spinach and ricotta stuffed shells in your fridge or keep them in your freezer, and you’ll be glad that dinner’s waiting for you when you’re ready to bake them! The full instructions are included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the quick version:
- Boil the pasta shells according to the package directions; drain.
- Spread some marinara in the bottom of a baking dish.
- Squeeze the spinach dry, and then stir together the spinach and cheese filling.
- Spoon the filling into the cooked pasta shells. Arrange them in the dish.
- Pour marinara over top, sprinkle with mozzarella, and bake.
Good Sides for Stuffed Shells
Here are some easy sides that go well with spinach stuffed shells for dinner:
- Garlic Bread or Breadsticks
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, or Drop Biscuits
- Crusty French Baguette, Cheddar Chive Beer Bread, Soft Dinner Rolls, or Homemade Crescent Rolls
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins, Pumpkin Muffins, or Pumpkin Bread
- Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, Wedge Salad with Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Caesar Salad, or our favorite House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Southern Fried Apples or Baked Apple Slices
- Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
- Roasted Broccoli or Broccoli and Cheese
- Roasted Asparagus or Sauteed Asparagus
- Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter, Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon, or Southern-Style Green Beans
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Sauteed Zucchini or Roasted Yellow Squash
- Fennel salad with apples and creamy cider dressing
- Balsamic Roasted Root Vegetables
How Many Stuffed Shells Per Person?
I generally assume about 2-3 shells per person. Larger appetites might like 4, while smaller eaters may prefer 2. This recipe yields about 20-22 stuffed shells, and it typically feeds about 6-8 people.
Preparation and Storage
- How to Freeze: This is the ultimate prep-ahead freezer meal! If you would like to make the casserole in advance, simply assemble the dish (but do not bake). Cover the dish with foil and either refrigerate for up to 24 hours; or, if freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap, then foil. Keep in freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to Cook Frozen Stuffed Shells: When ready to bake, you can either thaw the stuffed shells in the refrigerator overnight (and bake according to the recipe instructions); or you can bake the stuffed shells directly from the freezer at 350°F for about 60-70 minutes (or until heated through). Don’t forget to remove the foil during the final 10 minutes of baking to allow the cheese to brown on top!
- How to Reheat: Let the dish sit on the counter and come to room temperature for about 1 hour before reheating. Cover the dish with foil and reheat in a 350°F oven just until warmed through (about 20-30 minutes). You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for about 1 minute.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Recipe Variations
- For spinach stuffed shells with meat sauce, simply add ½ lb. of cooked ground beef or ground Italian sausage to the marinara sauce.
- To make these spinach stuffed shells without ricotta, you can substitute with cottage cheese instead. If using cottage cheese, I recommend straining off some of the liquid first or using a whipped cottage cheese so that you don’t end up with a watery filling.
- Spinach stuffed shells with white sauce: substitute Alfredo sauce for the marinara sauce, or try this recipe.
- If you prefer, you can use fresh spinach for this recipe in lieu of the frozen chopped spinach — but you will need a lot of fresh baby spinach! The beauty of frozen chopped spinach is that it’s already condensed, so you get a large amount of spinach at a very inexpensive price — and you don’t need to cook it before adding it to the ricotta mixture. A 10 oz package of frozen spinach is the equivalent of about a 1 pound bunch of fresh spinach. So, for this recipe, you’ll need about 2 lbs. of fresh spinach. If you’re buying fresh spinach, it’s wise to buy more than you think you’ll need because some bunches will need the stalks trimmed off and that will decrease the weight before cooking. You’ll also need to cook the fresh spinach, drain it, and squeeze out the excess liquid before adding it to the cheese mixture.
Tips for the Best Spinach Stuffed Shells Recipe
- The egg is an important component of the ricotta mixture because it helps the cheese layer “set” so that it doesn’t ooze out of the pasta.
- Use whole milk ricotta cheese for the richest, creamiest, smoothest texture.
- To bulk up the dish and include even more nutritious veggies in the casserole, saute sliced mushrooms, chopped bell peppers, diced onion, garlic, zucchini, or other vegetables of choice and stir them into the marinara sauce.
- Cook the pasta shells just until al dente, since they will continue cooking in the oven.
- This recipe yields a large batch to serve 8, so it’s perfect for entertaining. If you’re feeding a smaller family, you can divide the stuffed shells between two smaller 8-inch baking dishes and freeze one for later.
- These easy spinach stuffed shells are a relatively healthy option, since they have just 329 calories per serving and they’re full of leafy green veggies and satiating protein! One serving includes more than 20 grams of protein, which is a lot for a vegetarian dinner.
- Garnish with chopped fresh herbs or sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes just before serving.
More Easy Spinach Pasta Recipes to Try
Spinach Lasagna {Quick and Easy!}
1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Lasagna Roll Ups
1 hour hr
Pasta with Sausage and Spinach
30 minutes mins
Spinach Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells
- 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce (about 2 ½ cups total)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch dish with cooking spray. Pour half of the marinara sauce into the bottom of the dish. Save the rest of the sauce for later.
- Prepare pasta according to package instructions for al dente; drain and rinse under cold water.
- Squeeze all of the liquid out of the spinach. I like to use a dish towel for this, and just keep squeezing until you wring out as much water as possible. Place spinach in a large bowl.
- Add ricotta, 1 ½ cups of the mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil, salt, and garlic powder to the bowl with the spinach and stir really well with a fork to combine. Add a pinch of optional nutmeg or some ground black pepper, if desired. Stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture.
- Arrange stuffed shells in the prepared baking dish, open side up. Pour remaining half of the marinara sauce over top. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of mozzarella.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes, or until heated through. Remove the foil cover during the final 5-10 minutes to allow the cheese to get a little bit crispy on top.
Video
Notes
- For spinach stuffed shells with meat sauce, simply add ½ lb. of cooked ground beef or ground Italian sausage to the marinara sauce.
- To make these spinach stuffed shells without ricotta, you can substitute with cottage cheese instead. If using cottage cheese, I recommend straining off some of the liquid first or using a whipped cottage cheese so that you don’t end up with a watery filling.
- Spinach stuffed shells with white sauce: substitute Alfredo sauce for the marinara sauce, or try this recipe.
- If you prefer, you can use fresh spinach for this recipe in lieu of the frozen chopped spinach — but you will need a lot of fresh baby spinach! The beauty of frozen chopped spinach is that it’s already condensed, so you get a large amount of spinach at a very inexpensive price — and you don’t need to cook it before adding it to the ricotta mixture. A 10 oz package of frozen spinach is the equivalent of about a 1 pound bunch of fresh spinach. So, for this recipe, you’ll need about 2 lbs. of fresh spinach. If you’re buying fresh spinach, it’s wise to buy more than you think you’ll need because some bunches will need the stalks trimmed off and that will decrease the weight before cooking. You’ll also need to cook the fresh spinach, drain it, and squeeze out the excess liquid before adding it to the cheese mixture.
Definitely the most fiddly SM recipe I’ve tried but worth the effort for two dinners! Love that half can be eaten one night, and half frozen for another night. I cooked the whole box of shells as instructed but it was unnecessary as actually only a couple broke so I’ll have to think of a way to use up all the extra ones. Definitely an effort to prepare (took more like 50 minutes than 20), but tasty and satisfying!
Glad you enjoyed it, Amy! Yes — it’s definitely more “involved” than most of my recipes, but it’s one that I consider worth the effort when I have the time. 🙂
Hi Blair, I hope everything is well with you and your family during this crazy time. I am getting cabin fever, going on my 6th week working from home!! We are in the cold & rainy season here in MA which makes it difficult to go out walking.
I decided to make your Spinach Stuffed Shells Recipe. It was fantastic!!! My husband and I enjoyed them very much!! I took your suggestion and made 2 smaller pans, one to freeze for a another time.
Thank you for another great recipe!!
Hi, Annette! Good to hear from you! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the stuffed shells. My parents just made them for dinner last night, too. 🙂 You’ll really appreciate the extra pan in your freezer later, as well. Take care and stay healthy!
Delicious! We didn’t have any of our shells break before stuffing—maybe that’s due to slightly less than al dente cooking time. They were perfectly soft/al dente after they baked! I think next time we’ll make more stuffing to use all the shells.
Prep definitely was not 10 minutes, but it was an easy/straightforward recipe. The stuffing took the longest.
The whole family loved them, especially our one year old 😉
Great! So glad that even the baby approved, Mel! 🙂
This was a super easy and incredibly delicious meal. I’m kids and husband loved them. I prepped the filling and cooked the noodles early then was able to stuff them and cook. We had leftovers and I will make this again for sure. Thanks!
Sorry. Typo in the comment above.
“My husband and kids…”.
Thanks so much, Krista!
Hi Blair, thanks for the recipe! Any issue with using fresh spinach? Looking forward to making this week!
Hi, Micah! Yes — you can substitute with fresh spinach. The only issue with fresh spinach is that you need A LOT of the fresh leaves to equal the same amount of frozen spinach. Plus, the fresh leaves need to be cooked before straining and combining with the ricotta mixture, while the frozen spinach can just be thawed and squeezed dry. So the fresh spinach adds a step. Again, fresh will work — just keep those things in mind. Hope that helps, and enjoy!
Made this today. It was by far the best shell recipe for this veggie lover. Made half, froze half.
Perfect! I’m so glad that you’ll be able to enjoy it again without any work next time. 🙂 Thanks, Cynthia!
Great recipe! I’m always looking for vegetarian meals my daughter will like. I had some issues with stuffing the shells, I put too much in them and had to redo that step, but they came out great. I undercooked the shells a bit to keep them from tearing, so I only used half the box. I baked half and froze half in 8×8 pans and halved the sauce prior to assembling the dish. I also used parchment paper to line the frozen pan so I could lift it out and cook it in a glass dish. Thanks so much!
Sounds perfect, Susan! Thanks for taking the time to come back here and let me know. 🙂
Made this dish tonight as I need to expand my vegetarian main dishes. There were a lot of “moving parts” to the prep but I’m sure it’ll go faster next time. I made it early in the day and took it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking it. Has anyone tried to use fresh garlic? If so, how many cloves did you use? Next time, I will increase the amount of basil and garlic powder as I like it with a bit more of a kick. My family liked it so it’s a keeper.
Glad your family enjoyed it, Jackie! Yes, you could use about 1 clove of garlic (about 1 1/2 teaspoons minced).
Delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Thanks for your note, Kristin! I’m so glad that you liked the meal! 🙂
Hi! I have an egg allergy and wonder if the egg is an essential ingredient or if I could use something in its place?
Thank you!
Hi, Ashley! I don’t think that there’s another ingredient that you can use in lieu of the egg. I would just omit it entirely. The egg helps to hold the filling together and give it structure, so you might find that the cheese filling oozes out a bit more without the egg in the mix, but it will still taste great!
Hello, I recently made the Easy Lentil soup recipe that our family enjoyed. I changed the servings to five servings, however, the calculated ingredients were confusing. Is there a conversion chart to that you use that you can share. For example, the recipe shows to use 0.19 teaspoon of cumin. How do I know how much to use? I have a 1/8 tsp measuring spoon but nothing smaller. Thanks in advance.
Hi, Martha! The conversions are definitely not perfect since they’re automatically calculated by a computer program. I don’t have a specific conversion chart that I use, so I typically just round up or down to the next closest size or estimate. For example, I would just use 1/4 teaspoon of cumin when it says 0.19. Unless you’re baking when exact measurements are important, you typically won’t ruin a recipe by estimating or erring up or down slightly. Hope that helps!
Thank you for replying. I figured the best advice is to just start with the smallest amount and to add accordingly to your preferred taste. I look forward to trying out more of your recipes.
Exactly! No problem, Martha. 🙂
Delicious. This was not difficult to do, and totally worth any effort. I appreciated the tips (like cook all the shells in case some break), the make-ahead feature, and the freeze and reheat info. I used a purchased ricotta (Classic- only 3 ingredients, not gummy and thick), a purchased high-quality marinara, and fresh basil. I also used a 3-cheese shredded Italian blend for topping the shells. All made this a wonderful meal. The whole family enjoyed it!
I’m so happy to hear that, Suzanne! Thanks for taking the time to come back here and leave a note. 🙂
Would this spinach filling work with no-boil lasagna noodles and marinara sauce for lasagna?
Hi, Michelle! Yes, I think it would! 🙂
Very fast and easy dinner to make. Next time I plan to add a tin of minced oysters to the filling, I think that would be great! I’ve tried that with similar recipes and it was very tasty.
Thanks, Rachel. I love that idea!
Do you have to cook the fresh spinach? Can you just add it from the bag and mix with the ricotta
Hi, Melanie! Yes, I would cook the fresh spinach first, and then strain off all of the extra liquid (just like you would squeeze the frozen spinach dry). You don’t want the fresh spinach to release a lot of liquid as it cooks in the cheese mixture. Hope that helps!
I did this for dinner tonight, and it was a HIT!! I used a bit more spinach than called for, as that’s just the size of bag I had and I wanted to use it all & it turned out great!!
Thank you for this recipe. I will definitely be doing this again!
Thanks, Kamryn. So glad that it was a hit!
Have made this a few times now for the construction crew at my house (and for my husband and me!) It’s super easy and delicious and because I don’t tend to have too many broken shells, I make a little extra filling and end up with a tray and 1/2.
Thanks, Jennifer!
I made this and added chicken (seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, crushed red pepper, and some lemon juice) and more cheese. Only needed half the box of pasta shells. It was amazing!!! I’ll absolutely be making this again.
Thank you, Sarah! Sounds perfect!