Description
Delicious stuffed jumbo pasta shells filled with a creamy mixture of spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses, baked in marinara sauce and topped with melted cheese and fresh basil. A perfect comforting Italian-inspired vegetarian dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 16 jumbo pasta shells (cooked to al dente)
Filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 4 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves
- 1½ cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (plus more for topping)
- ¾ cups grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Sauce & Garnish
- 1½ cups marinara sauce
- Fresh basil leaves for serving
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray a shallow 8×8 inch baking dish with nonstick spray; set aside.
- Cook Pasta: Bring a pot of water to a boil on the stovetop. Cook the jumbo pasta shells until al dente, then drain and place them upside down on a baking sheet to dry.
- Sauté Garlic: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Cook Spinach: Add the baby spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes until the leaves start to wilt. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Prepare Filling: In a large bowl, combine the cooked spinach, ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, egg, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until well blended.
- Add Sauce: Pour half of the marinara sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Stuff Shells: One shell at a time, fill each pasta shell generously with the spinach and ricotta mixture. Place each filled shell in the baking dish with the filling side up.
- Top & Cover: Once all shells are arranged, cover them with the remaining marinara sauce and sprinkle additional shredded mozzarella cheese over the top.
- Bake Covered: Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- Bake Uncovered: Remove the foil and continue baking for another 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.
- Serve: Garnish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves before serving.
Notes
- Cooking pasta shells al dente prevents them from becoming too soft after baking.
- Make sure to drain and dry pasta shells to avoid sogginess in the final dish.
- Fresh spinach can be substituted with frozen spinach, thoroughly drained and squeezed dry, if preferred.
- For extra flavor, add finely chopped fresh basil or parsley to the filling mixture.
- This dish can be prepared ahead and refrigerated before baking.
- Use a nonstick spray or olive oil to prevent shells from sticking to the baking dish.
- Covering the dish during the first part of baking helps keep the shells moist.
