Description
A rich and creamy baked pasta dish featuring jumbo shells stuffed with a savory blend of spinach, ricotta, cream cheese, and mozzarella, all topped with marinara sauce and melted cheese. Perfect for a comforting family dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Pasta Shells
- 12 ounces jumbo pasta shells
For the Spinach Filling
- 10 ounces fresh spinach
- 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for sautéing spinach)
For Assembly
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- Additional shredded mozzarella cheese (approximately ½ cup for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pasta: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to cook the pasta shells.
- Sauté and Prepare Spinach Filling: In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté the fresh spinach until wilted. Drain any excess moisture and chop the spinach finely. In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, minced garlic, egg, salt, and black pepper. Stir in the chopped spinach thoroughly to make the filling.
- Cook Pasta Shells: Cook the jumbo pasta shells in boiling salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain carefully and set aside to cool slightly.
- Stuff Shells: Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Fill each pasta shell generously with the spinach and cheese mixture and arrange them in the baking dish.
- Assemble and Bake: Pour the remaining marinara sauce evenly over the stuffed shells. Sprinkle additional shredded mozzarella cheese on top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
- Rest and Garnish: Remove from oven and let the shells rest for a few minutes before serving. Optionally, garnish with fresh basil leaves or extra grated Parmesan cheese.
- Serve: Serve the spinach-stuffed shells hot, accompanied by extra marinara sauce or a fresh side salad.
Notes
- Be sure to drain spinach thoroughly to avoid watery filling.
- Using both ricotta and cream cheese creates a creamy texture for the filling.
- You can prepare the dish a day ahead and refrigerate before baking.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute pasta shells with gluten-free pasta.
- Leftovers store well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
