These cheesy spinach stuffed shells are a family favorite! Rock your weeknight dinner routine by making the shells in advance. The leftovers are amazing and can be enjoyed all week long!
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword Spinach Stuffed Shells
Prep Time 25 minutesminutes
Cook Time 35 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Servings 6servings
Calories 396kcal
Author Jenn Laughlin - Peas and Crayons
Ingredients
24uncooked large pasta shells
pinch of salt and drizzle of oil to help prevent shells from sticking and season the water
48ozspaghetti sauceor as needed
2cupsdiced onion(white or yellow)
3-4clovesgarlic(smashed and minced)
5ozfresh baby spinach, chopped
16ozwhole milk ricotta cheese
1heaping cup freshly grated parmesan cheese(approx. 2 oz)
Prepare 1-2 large glass baking dishes with a one-inch layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom. For saucy shells, feel free to add extra sauce. I usually add extra!
Boil shells for approx 11 min or until tender/al dente. Drain and set aside.
While the noodles boil, prep your veggies. Dice onion, mince garlic, and chop spinach. Measure out all remaining ingredients for easy cooking/assembly.
Sauté onions and garlic together on medium-high heat in a small pan.
Fold together ricotta, grated parmesan cheese, chopped spinach and all your herbs and spices.
Add sautéed veggies and mix well. If a thicker filling is desired, add 1-2 gently whisked eggs to the filling and mix.
Spoon filling into th shells, placing each shell atop your spaghetti sauced casserole dish.
If desired, drizzle extra sauce on top or leave tops of shells bare to showcase the filling.
Top with mozzarella cheese and an extra sprinkling of parmesan cheese if desired. For extra flavor, I also like to sprinkle some additional red pepper flakes and dried basil on top of the cheese.
Cover lightly with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes or until filling is hot and sauce is bubbling. If cheese has not melted, remove foil at the end and bake an additional 5-10 minutes if needed.
Notes
Adding meat? It's totally okay if you do! Brown ground turkey, beef, or sausage and season to taste. Then fold it into your cheese + spinach mixture or into the sauce for a meat-sauce effect.For the spaghetti sauce, choose your favorite! You can use a store-bought sauce or homemade sauce here. I alternate between the two depending on what I have handy. Love mushrooms? Add them in! I'll sometimes add 8 oz chopped baby portobello mushrooms and sauté them alongside the onion to add to the filling. Delicious!FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS:I like to make mine in two different dishes so I can freeze one for later. To freeze, after step 10, cover with a layer of plastic wrap followed by a tightly wrapped layer of aluminum of foil. This helps keep the shells fresh and freezer burn out. Some of my dishes have lids so I'll pop the lid on after the foil. When you're ready to defrost and eat, simply thaw your shells overnight in the fridge and then set out on the counter for 30-60 minutes before baking. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for approx. 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Baking times will vary based on how cold your shells are and how hot your oven runs. Nutrition Facts below are estimated using an online recipe nutrition calculator for a serving of 3 stuffed shells with sauce. Values will vary based on swaps and toppings. Adjust as needed and enjoy!