Description
Delicious jumbo pasta shells stuffed with a creamy ricotta and spinach mixture, baked in marinara sauce and topped with melted mozzarella.
Ingredients
Scale
- 20 jumbo pasta shells
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cups marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups fresh spinach (or 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry)
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella, plus more for topping
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, plus more to finish
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (optional)
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fresh basil leaves, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook jumbo shells in salted boiling water until just al dente (they’ll finish baking). Drain and lay on a tray so they don’t stick.
- In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add spinach and cook until wilted (or warmed through if using frozen). Let cool slightly.
- In a bowl, mix ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning (if using), and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir in the spinach.
- Spread 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.
- Spoon the ricotta-spinach filling into each shell and arrange in the dish.
- Spoon remaining marinara over the shells. Sprinkle with extra mozzarella if you like.
- Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes, until hot and bubbly. (Optional: broil 1–2 minutes for golden edges.)
- Finish with fresh basil and a little extra black pepper.
Notes
- Use fresh or frozen spinach, but ensure excess moisture is removed.
- Undercook the pasta shells slightly to prevent mushiness after baking.
- Extra mozzarella on top adds a golden, cheesy finish.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 110mg