Stuffed Shells
These cheesy stuffed shells are packed with ricotta, mozzarella, and spinach, then baked to perfection in marinara sauce. A comforting, family-friendly Italian dish.
Equipment
- Skillet
- Casserole Dish
- Large Pot
Ingredients
Pasta Shells
- 18-20 jumbo pasta shells boil extra in case some break
Filling and Sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups spinach
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded and divided
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1 egg
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- fresh parsley to garnish
Seasonings
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp pepper
- 0.5 tsp dried basil
- 0.5 tsp dried parsley
- 0.5 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Boil shells in salted water for 1 minute less than al dente (around 13 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add spinach and cook for about 3 minutes until wilted. Set aside and let cool.
- In a bowl, mix ricotta, seasonings, half the mozzarella, and most of the Parmesan (reserving a bit). Add cream cheese and egg. Fold in cooled spinach and garlic.
- Spread half of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Fill each shell with cheese mixture and arrange in the dish.
- Top with remaining sauce, mozzarella, and reserved Parmesan. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
Slice the spinach before cooking if preferred. Serve with garlic bread with cheese for a complete meal.