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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.
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 your own at home with this easy recipe.
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 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.
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!