Description
A comforting dish featuring creamy ricotta and fresh spinach stuffed into jumbo pasta shells, topped with rich marinara and melted mozzarella.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 Jumbo pasta shells (conchiglioni)
- 15 oz Whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 cups Fresh spinach
- 2 cups Marinara sauce
- 1 ½ cups Low-moisture, part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 large Egg
- 2 cloves Minced garlic
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup Fresh basil
- ¼ cup Fresh parsley
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
- 1 cup Cooked, crumbled ground beef (optional)
- 1 cup Sautéed mushrooms (optional)
- ½ cup Sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
- ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese (optional)
- 1 cup Provolone cheese (optional)
- 1 cup Fontina cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Pasta Shells: Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to package directions until they are al dente. Drain and rinse them under cold water. Lay the shells out in a single layer to cool.
- Wilt and Prepare the Spinach: In a hot pan with a splash of olive oil, or in the microwave, wilt the fresh spinach. Once wilted, cool the spinach and use a clean kitchen towel to squeeze out any excess water. Finely chop the spinach.
- Make the Creamy Ricotta Filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, chopped spinach, egg, half of the grated Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir everything together until it’s thoroughly combined and adjust the seasonings to your taste.
- Assemble the Stuffed Shells: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread some marinara sauce in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Stuff each pasta shell with the ricotta mixture, and arrange them in a single layer over the sauce.
- Bake to Golden Perfection: Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the stuffed shells and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve and Enjoy: Let the dish rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil and enjoy it with a side salad and some crusty bread.
Notes
To store leftovers, let the dish cool completely. Cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it in the refrigerator for about 3-5 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 60mg