Description
Creamy, herb-filled jumbo pasta shells baked with marinara sauce, perfect for family dinners or gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 20–24 jumbo pasta shells (about 12 oz / 340 g dry)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 oz (about 283 g) fresh spinach (or 1 box baby spinach)
- 15 oz (425 g) whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (about 6 oz / 170 g), divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 45 g), plus extra for serving
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 24 oz (about 3 cups / 680 g) marinara sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to package instructions until al dente; drain and set aside on a tray.
- In a frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add spinach and cook until wilted (2–3 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, cooked spinach, 1 cup of the mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until well combined.
- Fill each shell with the spinach-ricotta mixture and place in a baking dish.
- Spread a layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange the stuffed shells on top.
- Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the shells and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.
- Let cool slightly (5–10 minutes) before serving.
Notes
Avoid overmixing the ricotta mixture to keep it light and airy. Squeeze out excess water from spinach to prevent a watery filling.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 535
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 60mg