If you are a pasta lover, look no further! This Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells recipe is a great dish that’s easy to make for any weeknight dinner!
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Being a mom of three kiddos, I love a tasty, kid-friendly, and EASY dinner! Pasta typically fits all three of those categories and is definitely a favorite in my house. My kids not only finished everything on their plates, but there were not even complaints around the dinner table, too! Including, no complaints on having to eat spinach, which was quite shocking, ha!
All in all, these Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells are a great dinner (or lunch) option that everyone will enjoy! Pair with a salad, bread, or a veggie and you’ll have dinner on the table in no time!
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Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells Ingredients
- Jumbo Pasta Shells: Jumbo shells are great for stuffing, since they are, well, jumbo! Extra-large pasta shells can be found at most major grocery stores.
- Onion: Cooked, diced onion mixed into your cheese mixture will be one of the key elements that brings this dish to life. The sweet and flavorful nature of onions are just that hard to resist!
- Garlic cloves: Minced garlic will be the perfect addition to your stuffed shell mixture next to your onions—packing it fuller of flavor. Your taste buds are sure to be delighted.
- Olive oil: Just a little olive oil will help cook and wilt your spinach to perfection while also giving it a little more extra flavor.
- Fresh spinach: While you don’t have to use fresh spinach, this is what I recommend, because it truly seems to make all the difference in flavor and texture in my experience!
- Mozzarella cheese: Shredded, fresh mozzarella is great because it melts so easily making it the perfect for cheese stuffed shells!
- Ricotta cheese: Can’t go wrong with some creamy ricotta, bringing in another level of texture and a slightly sweet flavor to your dish!
- Parmesan cheese: Every Parmesan fan knows the unique element and taste of this specific cheese brings to its dishes. It has a slightly sweet nature that will only further enhance your melty cheese mixture!
- Egg: Think of the egg like that family member that will help hold everything together. Without the egg, your many ingredients would more easily fall apart!
- Black pepper: Pepper is lovely because it gives just a hint of spice without being too much but providing just enough irresistible flavor!
- Salt: Just a pinch of salt is all you need for a slight boost in your flavor profile but not enough to make it noticeably salty.
- Spaghetti sauce: Tomato sauce, or spaghetti sauce, adds another sweet element to your dish—but also another rich flavor in general that will pair well with the garlic and onion!
*For further details and exact measurements see the recipe card below
Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells Directions
- Grab a large pot of salted water and put it on the stove over medium heat until it boils.
- Cook pasta shells in boiling water until al dente (follow directions on back of box).
- While the shells are cooking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Add the olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium-high heat.
- Then add in the onions and saute for about 2 minutes.
- Next, add in the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the spinach and cook for about 2 minutes—or until leaves are wilted.
- Place the spinach mixture into a medium bowl and then add in the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined and mixed thoroughly.
- Take about one cup of the marinara sauce (or spaghetti sauce) and spread on the bottom of a baking pan (I use 9×9).
- Fill cooked pasta shells with spinach mixture and place into the prepared pan.
- Pour the remaining spaghetti sauce on top of the shells and place the pan into the oven.
- Then, let it cook for about 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and add additional cheese as an extra topper if desired!
- Serve and enjoy!
Alternative Ingredients
While the ingredients I share are ingredients I enjoy most, there are ingredients you may not be a fan of. There may even be ingredients you may want to include—and that’s totally okay too. I’d suggest trying this pasta dish as it is first, but next time feel free to play around with it. Every great recipe first started with a little exploration first! Here are common alternatives that can be found in other stuffed shell dishes:
- Italian seasoning
- Red pepper flakes
- Garlic powder
- Red Peppers
- Fresh basil
What Is ‘Al Dente’?
You may have heard the word ‘al dente’ when it comes to pasta or cooking, but maybe you don’t know what it means. If you don’t know, Al dente in Italian means ‘to the tooth’ which refers to how a dish is supposed to taste. It references the taste because ‘al dente’ means the pasta is meant to be cooked firm ‘to the tooth’ when bitten. You’re going to want to follow the directions very closely to get it just right. So, now when you see ‘pasta al dente’ in a recipe or on a menu, you can tell people about this fun fact.
What to Serve with Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells
Looking to round out your meal with a great side dish or two?
- Mini Garlic Monkey Bread
- One Skillet Pesto Chicken and Veggies
- Garlic Pull Apart Bread
- Parmesan Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Cheesy Zucchini Bake
- Garlic Parmesan Cast Iron Skillet Bread
Other Delicious Pasta Dishes
If you’re a big pasta fan and looking for another easy recipe to try out, look no further. The great thing about pasta is that there are endless ways to make it!
- Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
- Mediterranean Pesto Pasta
- Incredible Chicken Piccata Pasta
- Instant Pot Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Lemon Ricotta Pasta
What’s your favorite comforting pastas? I, personally, can’t get enough cheesy stuffed shells as an all time favorite comfort food! I’d give it a five star rating any day. If you’ve tried this spinach stuffed shells recipe, what do you think? Let me know about your favorite pasta dishes in the comments below!
And be sure to come connect with me on Instagram too! I love seeing what you all are up to in the kitchen! Tag #thecookinchicks so I can see what you’re cooking up!
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Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- Jumbo Pasta Shells *I use about 14
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 cups spinach *fresh is best
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Ricotta cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 24 oz spaghetti sauce
Instructions
- Cook pasta shells in boiling water until al dente (follow directions on back of box).
- While shells are cooking, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Add the olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium high.
- Add in the onions and saute for about 2 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the spinach and cook about 2 minutes, or until leaves are wilted.
- Place spinach mixture into a medium mixing bowl and add in the Ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined.
- Take about 1 cup of spaghetti sauce and spread on the bottom of a baking pan (I use 9x9).
- Fill cooked pasta shells with spinach mixture and place into prepared pan.
- Pour remaining spaghetti sauce on top of shells and place pan into oven.
- Cook for about 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and add additional cheese if desired and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
Debby says
Looks great but please add ricotta cheese to the ingredients.
Kristin says
Whoops, good catch! Just added it!