Stuffed Jumbo Shells Spinach (Print Page)

Jumbo pasta shells filled with ricotta and spinach, baked with rich tomato sauce and melted cheese topping.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 20 jumbo pasta shells (conchiglioni)
02 - Salt for boiling water

→ Filling

03 - 14 oz ricotta cheese
04 - 9 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 1 garlic clove, minced
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Tomato Sauce

11 - 24 oz tomato passata or crushed tomatoes
12 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
13 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
14 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
15 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
17 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Topping

18 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
19 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

# Directions:

01 - Set the oven temperature to 350°F.
02 - Boil salted water in a large pot and cook pasta shells until al dente, approximately two minutes less than package instructions. Drain and lay shells on a tray to prevent sticking.
03 - In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, squeezed spinach, Parmesan, egg, minced garlic, ground nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Stir until mixture is smooth.
04 - Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté chopped onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more. Incorporate tomato passata, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes.
05 - Spread half of the tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a large baking dish.
06 - Fill each pasta shell with approximately 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of the ricotta and spinach mixture and arrange them in the baking dish over the sauce.
07 - Pour the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the filled shells. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese on top.
08 - Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven.
09 - Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
10 - Allow the dish to rest for 5 minutes before serving to set.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The creamy ricotta and spinach filling stays moist without ever feeling heavy, a contrast most people don't expect from baked pasta.
  • There's something deeply satisfying about filling each shell by hand—it feels like you're building something rather than just cooking.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day once the sauce and cheese have melded together overnight.
02 -
  • If your spinach still feels wet after squeezing, the filling will break down and become grainy instead of creamy—this is the most common mistake and worth getting right.
  • Don't skip the 5-minute rest; it sounds small but it's the difference between a perfect slice and a collapsed mess on your plate.
03 -
  • Buy blocks of mozzarella and Parmesan rather than pre-grated, because they melt into actual melted cheese instead of a gritty paste.
  • Don't be afraid to add a tiny pinch more nutmeg than you think you need—it's the quiet note that makes people wonder what makes this taste so good.
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