Spinach Stuffed Shells

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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.

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.

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 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!

Spinach Stuffed Shells

Spinach Stuffed Shells are an easy and healthy vegetarian dinner recipe that can be prepared in advance!

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

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 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.
2. Prepare pasta according to package instructions; drain and rinse under cold water.
3. 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.
4. 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, if desired. Stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture.
5. 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.
6. Cover with 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.

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