Best Spinach Stuffed Shells Recipes

SPINACH AND CHEESE STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, gently place pasta shells in boiling water; bring water back to boil. Cook until noodles are just tender; drain well.
• Squeeze spinach dry. Combine spinach, ricotta, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, fennel, basil and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper; mix well.
• Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Fill each pasta shell with the spinach cheese mixture. Arrange the shells, filling side up in the baking dish. Spoon remaining marinara sauce over the shells. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top of the shells.
• Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven until heated through; about 30 minutes.

CHEESY SPINACH-STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Cook pasta shells according to package directions for al dente. Drain; rinse with cold water., Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion; cook and stir until vegetables are tender, 4-6 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Remove from heat; cool slightly., In a large bowl, mix eggs, ricotta cheese, spinach, basil and pepper. Stir in olives, mushroom mixture and 3/4 cup each cheese blend and mozzarella cheese., Spread 1 cup sauce into a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Fill pasta shells with cheese mixture; place in baking dish, overlapping ends slightly. Spoon remaining sauce over top., Bake, covered, until heated through, 40-45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes longer. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with additional basil.

SPINACH-RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes; season with salt. (You should have about 4 heaping cups of sauce.)
• Make the stuffed shells: Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook as the label directs for baking, about 9 minutes. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Spread out on a baking sheet.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a large plate lined with a kitchen towel. Squeeze to remove any excess liquid, then finely chop.
• Put the spinach in a large bowl and add the ricotta, mozzarella, parsley, Parmesan, lemon zest, beaten egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir until combined.
• To assemble, spread about half of the sauce in the bottom of a 10-by-14-inch baking dish. Evenly fill the shells with the spinach-ricotta mixture using a spoon, or pipe it in using a pastry bag. Arrange the shells side by side, open-side up, in the baking dish on top of the sauce, then top with the remaining sauce.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake until heated through and the sauce is simmering around the edges, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until any shells or cheese poking through the sauce are lightly browned in spots, about 10 more minutes. Let sit 10 minutes. Top with more Parmesan and red pepper flakes.

SAUSAGE-SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Make the stuffed shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook until just slightly softened but still firm, about 7 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drizzle with olive oil and toss; set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste and stir until heated through, about 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
• Combine the spinach mixture, ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, the parmesan, parsley and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the filling; set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the cheese sauce: Melt the butter with the garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the flour and whisk constantly until lightly golden, about 1 minute. Add the milk and cream, bring to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and nutmeg to taste.
• Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil and pour in about two-thirds of the cheese sauce. Add the stuffed shells and top with the remaining cheese sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and top with the marinara sauce and the remaining 1 cup mozzarella; continue baking until the sauce is bubbly, 15 to 20 more minutes.

STUFFED SHELLS FILLED WITH SPINACH AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Fill a bowl with ice water. Blanch the spinach for no more than 20 seconds, just until wilted, and transfer to the ice water, then drain. Squeeze out excess water. Bring the water in the pot back to a boil and add the pasta shells. Cook al dente, about 10 minutes, and drain and toss with the olive oil. Set aside.
• Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop in the garlic. When the garlic is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the spinach and pulse to chop finely. Add the ricotta and the egg and process until well blended. Add 1/3 cup of the Parmesan, the chives, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse until well blended.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a large baking dish or two 2-quart dishes. The shells should fit into the dish in one layer. Fill each shell with a scant tablespoon of the filling. Arrange in a single layer in the baking dish. Top with the tomato sauce and cover the dish with foil.
• Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the heat, sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan, and serve.

STUFFED SHELLS WITH SPINACH, RICOTTA, AND COTTAGE CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add shells and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, 7 to 8 minutes; do not overcook. Drain and rinse shells with cold water.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place frozen spinach in a microwave-safe bowl and add water. Heat in the microwave for 4 minutes. Stir and allow to cool. Squeeze spinach dry and transfer to a large bowl.
• Add cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, onion, egg, garlic, oregano, basil, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to the bowl with the spinach and mix well.
• Pour and spread 1/2 to 3/4 cup pasta sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Fill each cooked pasta shell with spinach mixture and arrange, filled-side up, in the baking dish, keeping 1/2 inch between shells. Carefully pour remaining sauce on top of shells and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until hot and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Serve hot.

SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Mix together the spinach, artichokes, ricotta, 4 ounces cream cheese, 1/3 cup Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk together the half-and-half, mozzarella, remaining 4 ounces cream cheese, remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium microwave-safe bowl until smooth and combined. Heat in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until warm and smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Spread 1/2 cup cheese sauce on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Stuff a heaping tablespoon of the spinach mixture into each shell and arrange them in the baking dish seam-side up. Pour the remaining cheese sauce over the shells, cover with foil and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling, 13 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix the olive oil, breadcrumbs and parsley, if using, in a small bowl until well combined. Remove the foil from the baking dish and sprinkle the mixture over the shells. Bake until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the cheese is bubbly, about 10 minutes.

ARTICHOKE AND SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Combine spinach artichoke dip and ricotta cheese in a bowl. Stir in egg, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper; mix until well-combined. Set aside.
• Bring white sauce to a simmer over medium-low heat. Stir in grated Gruyere cheese until cheese is melted and incorporated into sauce, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Stir in shells and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, but still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain. Set aside.
• Pour half the white sauce mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish; spread evenly.
• Stuff pasta shells with the spinach artichoke mixture and place in casserole dish atop the white sauce, stuffed-side up.
• Pour remaining white sauce over the tops of the shells and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and bubbling, about 25 minutes.

CHICKEN- AND SPINACH-STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Rinse with cool water; drain.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese, spinach and chicken.
• Spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce in bottom of 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Spoon about 2 tablespoons ricotta mixture into each pasta shell. Arrange shells, filled sides up, on sauce in baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce over stuffed shells.
• Cover dish with foil; bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with Italian cheese blend. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

MUSHROOM-SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• 1 large egg, lightly beatenMake the stuffed shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook until slightly softened but still firm, about 7 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drizzle with olive oil and toss; set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and cook, undisturbed, until golden in spots, about 2 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 more minutes. Add the spinach and stir until heated through, about 2 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Finely chop the spinach-mushroom mixture and combine in a bowl with the cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, egg, basil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the filling; set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the tomato sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until lightly golden, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, then rinse out the can with 1 cup water and add to the skillet; add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to the skillet and rinse out the blender.
• Make the cheese sauce: Combine the cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan and egg in the blender and puree until smooth.
• Brush a 9-by-13-inch flameproof baking dish with olive oil and pour in half of the tomato sauce. Add the stuffed shells, then top with the remaining tomato sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 25 minutes; uncover and continue baking until bubbly, 15 to 20 more minutes. Turn on the broiler; drizzle the shells with the cheese sauce and broil, about 2 minutes.

SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS WITH WHITE SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, prepare white sauce according to package directions; set aside., Preheat oven to 375°. In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, egg white, basil, garlic powder, pepper and half of the spinach (save remaining spinach for another use). Pour half of the white sauce into a greased 11x7-in. baking dish. , Drain pasta and rinse in cold water; stuff each shell with 2 tablespoons spinach mixture. Arrange over sauce. Top with remaining white sauce. , Cover and bake 25 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

SPINACH AND COTTAGE CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS (NO RICOTTA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine ingredients "cottage cheese" through "egg".
• Pour half of the sauce in a 9x13 pan (I never measure the sauce, I just pour it from the jar). Fill the shells full with the cheese mixture, and place them into the pan with the sauce.
• Drizzle the remaining sauce lightly over the top of the shells (or spoon sauce from the jar over the shells, like I do). Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

SAUSAGE & SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS IN TOMATO BASIL CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat olive oil on med-high and saute onions till clear, then add sausage, salt-n-pep and crushed red pepper and 1 TBsp garlic. Cook till golden brown breaking up the pieces.
• Remove from heat and transfer to large bowl to cool.
• When mixture has cooled to room temp, stir in ricotta, spinach, 1/2 cup parm and sugar. Combine well.
• Lightly grease a deep 9×13 casserole or lasagna pan and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta shells until just al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water then pat dry.
• Stuff the pasta shells with the sausage-spinach mixture and place in prepared casserole dish.
• In a large saucepan, heat olive oil on medium high and saute remaining onions until clear. Add remaining garlic and cook until fragrant approx 1-2 minutes
• Add the crushed tomatoes, salt-n-pep, crushed red pepper (t.t.) and cook for 5 minutes
• Add the heavy cream and cook until sauce is reduced by 1/3, about 20 minutes
• Preheat oven to 350F
• Add the finely chopped basil to the sauce right before pouring the sauce over the shells in casserole.
• Sprinkle with the fontina cheese and remaining Parm. Cover casserole tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes Remove the foil and continue baking until the sauce is lightly browned in spots and bubbly around the edges. About 15 mins longer.
• Let stand for 10 mins before serving. Goes great with thin sliced garlic bread.
• Bon Appetito!

STUFFED SHELLS WITH CRISPY PANCETTA AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and allow to cool before stuffing.
• Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl.
• Add the spinach, onion, garlic, parsley, ricotta cheese, asiago cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine.
• Stuff the shells with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture each and place the stuffed shells in a large, buttered baking dish.
• For the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the cream and bring to a simmer.
• Turn the heat to very low and add the 2 cups asiago cheese, parsley, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is dissolved.
• Pour the sauce over the shells. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup asiago cheese.
• Bake, covered, until golden on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

STUFFED SHELLS (WITH SPINACH AND CHEESE)

Steps:

• In a skillet, cook onion until tender.
• Transfer to a large bowl.
• Stir in the spinach, cream cheese, and egg.
• Add 1 cup mozzarella, cheddar, cottage cheese, parmesan, salt, pepper, and cinnamon if desired; mix well.
• Stuff shells and arrange in a greased 13x9x2 baking dish.
• Combine sauce ingredients; mix well.
• Pour over shells.
• Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
• Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
• Return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

VEGETARIAN BALSAMIC MUSHROOM AND SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in shells and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain carefully.
• Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic; cook and stir until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes more. Drain any excess liquid and transfer mushrooms and garlic to a large mixing bowl to cool.
• Rinse and dry skillet. Add olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Add spinach to mushroom mixture in the mixing bowl.
• Add ricotta, Italian cheese blend, Parmesan cheese, egg, basil, salt, and pepper to the spinach and mushroom mixture. Mix thoroughly to combine.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Open canned tomatoes and add basil, salt, oregano, and red pepper flakes directly to the can. Pour 1/4 of the sauce into a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Stuff each pasta shell with a large spoonful of filling and place, filling-side up, in the baking pan. Cover with remaining sauce and tightly cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until heated through, about 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese on top. Return pan to the oven, increase temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), and cook until bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes more.

RICOTTA AND SPINACH STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water, uncovered, 3 minutes; drain.
• Cool slightly.
• Preheat oven to moderate.
• Boil, steam or microwave spinach until just wilted; drain.
• Chop spinach finely, squeeze out excess liquid.
• Combine spinach in a large bowl with ricotta and cottage cheese; spoon spinach mixture into pasta shells.
• Combine sauce and stock in oiled shallow 2 litre (8 cup) ovenproof dish.
• Place pasta shells in dish; sprinkle with parmesan.
• Bake, covered, in moderate oven about 1 hour or until pasta is tender.

CHEESY SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• For the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• While the sauce simmers, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta shells al dente according to package directions. Drain and immediately place them in an even layer on paper towels or parchment.
• For the filling, in a medium bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, parsley, oregano and basil. Add the spinach and mix until combined. Stir in the cheeses.
• Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spoon about half of the sauce on the bottom of the prepared pan and spread evenly. Fill each pasta shell with an even amount of the filling (about 1/4 cup per shell, more or less) and place the shells on top of the sauce in the pan - making three rows of eight shells.
• Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top of the shells. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Uncover and bake five or so more minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the shells sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

BAKED PASTA SHELLS STUFFED WITH SPINACH AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a very large saucepan, gently fry the garlic and onion in the oil for about 5-10 minutes until translucent. Add the tomato purée and refill the cans with water about three-quarters full, giving them a shake to mop up any tomato. This will give you about 4 1/2 cups water. Add it to the pan. Bring the sauce to the boil and then partially cover and simmer for about 25 minutes.
• Soak the fresh spinach in the sink to get rid of any mud, drain, and then cook in just the water that's still clinging to the leaves until it has wilted down and cooked through, then drain well and chop roughly (you can just go at it with scissors while it's sitting in the colander). If you're using frozen chopped spinach, make sure - once it's thawed - that you've pressed out every last bit or water; you can.
• Empty the ricotta into a bowl, add the eggs and then grate in about 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) of the Parmesan. Add the spinach when it is cool, squeezing out (again) any excess water with your hands, then stir everything together and season it well with the nutmeg and salt and pepper.
• Cook the pasta shells in a large pan of water, for about 5 minutes once they have come back to the boil, then drain and leave them to get cool enough for you to stuff them without burning your fingers. Tip the shells into a dish, of approximately 15 x 13 inches, so that they lie in a single layer, then fill each shell with a heaped teaspoon of the spinach and ricotta filling. Ladle the tomato sauce over the pasta, and grate over the remaining Parmesan.
• Bake for about 20 - 30 minutes, by which time the pasta will be tender and the light tomato sauce hot and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let stand for a while to cool down slightly before serving.

SPINACH- AND CHEESE- STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Squeeze spinach dry. Transfer spinach to large bowl. Add ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, fennel, basil and garlic to bowl. Season mixture with salt and pepper; blend.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spoon 1/2 cup marinara sauce evenly over bottom of 9x13x2-inch baking dish. Fill each pasta shell with spinach mixture. Place shells, filling side up, in dish. Spoon remaining sauce over shells. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Cover loosely with foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve, passing additional Parmesan separately.