I believe I may need simply made the final pasta dish… spinach and ricotta stuffed shells!
These large pasta shells are filled with garlicky sautéed spinach and creamy ricotta cheese, doused in a wealthy tomato sauce, and topped with a melty cheese topping. I actually cannot consider any higher mixture – all my favorite issues smooshed collectively.
It is laborious to go improper with a tacky pasta bake, however this has obtained to be my favorite one but.
These stuffed shells have a little bit of all the things I like.
Spinach and ricotta is a wonderfully traditional mixture (I’ve used it to make dumplings, stuffed potatoes, and lentil slice, amongst different issues…), and when it is contrasted with the tangy tomato sauce, it is simply lovely!
These massive pasta shells are the proper scoops to maintain all the things contained. They’re critically satisfying to eat.
Plus, they’re tremendous easy to make – excellent for a comfortable Sunday night, or to feed your hungry household. This recipe is a particular crowd-pleaser!
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❤️ Why You will Love This Recipe
- It is creamy, it is wealthy and tangy, it is tacky, it is gooey, it is hearty and comforting… Critically, I can not overstate simply how insanely scrumptious these stuffed shells are!
- The recipe is straightforward and straightforward to place collectively, with no pointless steps.
- You may velocity issues up through the use of a superb high quality shop-bought sauce – or take the time to make your individual from scratch.
- The dish may be ready prematurely if wanted, so it is excellent for serving to visitors.
- Any leftovers (for those who’re restrained sufficient to have them!) can simply be microwaved to reheat, or frozen till wanted.
🥗 Components
This is what you will must make this recipe:
- giant pasta shells – often known as conchiglioni.
- tomato sauce. I used a superb high quality shop-bought tomato sauce, as I needed to maintain issues tremendous easy. When you’d desire to make your individual sauce, I extremely suggest my gradual cooker tomato sauce, which may be made with barely any effort!
- ricotta cheese
- recent spinach. You may swap this for frozen spinach, for those who desire.
- egg – to assist agency up the creamy filling because it bakes.
- garlic
- nutmeg. You may skip this if you do not have it at hand, but it surely does add a very nice heat to the creamy pasta stuffing.
- parmesan-style cheese. ‘Actual’ parmesan is not actually vegetarian, as it’s made with animal rennet. Be sure to discover a vegetarian model (typically simply referred to as ‘Italian laborious cheese’) as a substitute!
See the printable recipe card beneath for detailed ingredient portions.
👌 Prime tip
If you cannot discover giant pasta shells in your native grocery store, you should buy them on-line – discover them on Amazon US / Amazon UK.
Alternatively, you could possibly use one other ‘stuffable’ sort of pasta, like cannelloni or manicotti.
🔄 Recipe Adjustments
There are just a few methods you could possibly adapt this recipe to make it simply best for you.
- So as to add some additional veg, attempt scattering some cooked peas or peppers by means of the dish with the pasta shells.
- Or, for those who chop your greens finely sufficient, you’ll be able to add them to the spinach and ricotta stuffing. Some finely chopped mushrooms, for instance, could possibly be sautéed together with the spinach and garlic.
- Use grated cheddar or mozzarella on prime of the shells for an much more melty, gooey end.
- To make this recipe even faster to make, you may also simply adapt it to make use of every other small form of pasta. Simply dollop the creamy spinach filling by means of the cooked pasta within the baking dish, reasonably than stuffing the shells individually. It’s going to all style the identical in the long run!
📋 Directions
This is the way to make these tasty stuffed shells – see beneath for the printable recipe with detailed substances and directions.
Step 1: Boil the pasta shells in response to the directions on the packet.
These giant shells have a behavior of getting cupped collectively within the pan (spooning in a bit pasta cuddle), so poke them round a bit with a fork to verify they’re all completely separate as they cook dinner.
Step 2: Sauté the spinach with some garlic.
Recent spinach is infamous for cooking down a lot, so you need to use fairly a big amount to start with. You may add it to the pan a bit at a time if it is in peril of spilling over!
Step 3: When the spinach is cooked, mix it with the ricotta cheese, some grated parmesan, and an egg. I like so as to add a bit floor nutmeg too, in addition to loads of salt and pepper.
Step 4: Stuff the spinach and ricotta combination into the cooked pasta shells, and place them right into a baking dish.
It is no drawback if the stuffed shells should be stacked on prime of one another – and please do not be too tidy about it! This does not must take all day. It’s going to find yourself tasting the identical, regardless of how messy you are being.
👌 Prime tip
Add a skinny layer of tomato sauce to the underside of the baking dish, beneath the pasta. This can stop the pasta from sticking to the dish, and likewise ensures that you just get some tomatoey flavour all through each chunk.
Step 5: Prime the shells with the remaining tomato sauce and grated parmesan. Cowl the dish with a lid (or some kitchen foil, if you do not have an acceptable lid), and bake till all the things is piping scorching and the cheese is sweet and gooey.
💭 Stuffed Shells FAQs
Sure – you’ll be able to put together all the things prematurely, however cease simply earlier than baking it. The ready dish may be saved within the fridge for a day or two, then baked once you’re able to serve. When you’re utilizing a baking dish that is chilly from the fridge, be sure to do not preheat your oven – enable the dish and the oven to heat up slowly collectively, to forestall any breakages.
Sure – pasta bakes typically freeze very well! Simply switch any leftovers to an air-tight container, and freeze. I’d suggest defrosting the dish first, then reheating within the microwave to verify it stays moist.
Any ‘stuffable’ pasta form, like cannelloni or manicotti, can be utilized rather than the conchiglioni on this recipe. Alternatively, you’ll be able to even use any smaller pasta form, and skip the ‘stuffing’ step. Simply dollop the spinach and ricotta combination across the dish, together with the cooked pasta.
🧀 Extra Tacky Pasta Bakes
📖 Printable Recipe
Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells
These stuffed shells are the last word pasta dish! With garlicky sautéed spinach, creamy ricotta cheese, and a wealthy tomato sauce – all smothered in a melty cheese topping. Irresistible!
When you’ve cooked this recipe, do not forget to go away a star ranking!
Servings: 3 individuals
Energy: 663kcal
Directions
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Boil the pasta shells in loads of water till cooked al dente. Be certain that the shells do not interlock within the pan, in any other case they will not cook dinner evenly.
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Whereas the pasta is cooking, warmth a touch of oil in a frying pan. Add the roughly chopped spinach and the chopped garlic, and cook dinner over a medium warmth for a couple of minutes, till the spinach has wilted and any extra liquid has cooked off. If in case you have a small pan, you’ll be able to add the spinach a handful at a time, after which add extra because it begins to cook dinner down.
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When the spinach has all wilted, add it to a mixing bowl, together with the ricotta cheese, half of the parmesan (maintain again the remainder for topping), the egg, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Combine completely to mix.
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Unfold a few third of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a baking dish – mine measured roughly 8 x 8 inches.
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When the pasta is cooked, drain it, and rinse the shells below chilly water till they’re cool sufficient to deal with. Stuff every shell with a few teaspoon of the spinach and ricotta combination, and place it within the dish on prime of the tomato sauce. It is high-quality if the shells overlap, or if it is advisable to make two layers. There isn’t any should be too neat about it.
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When you will have used up all the pasta shells and the stuffing combination, prime with the remaining tomato sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan.
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Cowl the dish with a lid (or some kitchen foil, if you do not have a lid), and bake at 190°C (Gasoline Mark 5 / 375°F) for round 20-25 minutes, or till all the things is piping scorching and the cheese topping is melty. Serve topped with recent herbs, if desired.
Notes
Leftovers may be frozen in an air-tight container. I’d suggest defrosting the dish first, then reheating within the microwave to verify it stays moist.
Diet
Serving: 1 portion – Energy: 663 kcal – Carbohydrates: 67.3 g – Protein: 35.9 g – Fats: 28.3 g – Saturated Fats: 11.4 g – Ldl cholesterol: 166 mg – Sodium: 1865 mg – Potassium: 672 mg – Fiber: 4.9 g – Sugar: 6.9 g – Calcium: 641 mg – Iron: 7 mg
Dietary data is approximate, and can rely in your actual substances. Please calculate your individual dietary values for those who require accuracy for well being causes.
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