Stuffed Shells with Ricotta

These stuffed shells with ricotta have a well-seasoned three-cheese filling with spinach, fresh herbs and garlic, baked in marinara and finished under the broiler until the mozzarella is browned on top.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• Whole-milk ricotta is what I always use for the filling. There’s spinach, Parmesan, mozzarella, garlic, herbs and a good amount of seasoning going into the bowl, and I like the richer ricotta under all of it. Part-skim technically works, but it’s not what I want when I make these.
• Frozen chopped spinach is also completely on purpose. It blends into the ricotta mixture much more evenly than fresh spinach does, but you really have to squeeze the life out of it first. I thaw it, wrap it up and keep squeezing until I’m sure there can’t possibly be any water left. There usually still is.
• The filling gets more seasoning than ricotta sometimes gets credit for needing. I use fresh garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, basil and parsley because ricotta and spinach can both absorb a lot of seasoning. I want the filling to taste good before it enters its pasta shell situationship.
• I make sure to cook extra jumbo shells every single time. Some split, some tear, and others come out of the pot looking very Raggedy Ann-ish. And it’s fine. Starting with at least 25 means I’m not standing there at the end trying to make one rough-looking shell do the work of three.
• I also put most of the marinara underneath the shells instead of pouring all of it over the top. Two cups go into the baking dish first, then the filled shells sit down into the sauce, and the last cup goes over them. They stay saucy without becoming unnoticeable under a red blanket.
• It’s not a necessary step, but I never stop at melted mozzarella. Once the stuffed shells are hot, I switch over to the broiler for a few minutes and wait for browned spots across the top. Melted cheese does the work, but browned, toasty cheese is what I really want.

Ingredients

• Jumbo pasta shells – I cook at least 25 even though I know I won’t use all of them. A few always split or tear in the pot, and I’d rather have extras sitting there than get to the end with filling left and nowhere to put it.
• Whole-milk ricotta cheese – One 15-ounce tub is the base of the filling. I use whole-milk because I like the richer texture once the spinach, egg, other cheeses, herbs and seasonings are mixed in. I’ve thought about making this with my homemade ricotta cheese, but it’s much softer than commercial ricotta, so I don’t think it’s a good fit for stuffed shells.
• Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese – I use some of the mozzarella in the ricotta filling and the rest goes over the shells before baking. Parmesan stays in the filling and adds a noticeable salty cheese flavor.
• Frozen chopped spinach – Five ounces is enough to get spinach throughout the ricotta without turning this into a spinach stuffed shells recipe. Thaw it completely, then squeeze it way more than you think you need to.
• Egg – This helps the ricotta filling set as it bakes instead of staying loose inside the shells.
• Garlic, garlic powder and onion powder – Fresh garlic in the filling is the main garlic flavor, while the powders distribute the seasoning more evenly through the ricotta. I like using both.
• Fresh parsley and basil – Both go into the filling, and I save some parsley for the top after the shells come out of the oven.
• Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, kosher salt and black pepper – These do a lot of the seasoning in the ricotta filling. The red pepper flakes are there for warmth, but not enough to make the stuffed shells spicy.
• Marinara sauce – You need three cups total. Most goes underneath the shells and the rest goes over the top. Use one you like because this isn’t a tiny background amount of sauce.
• Avocado oil – You only need enough to toss with the drained shells so they don’t glue themselves together while they cool. Any neutral oil is fine.

How to Make Stuffed Shells with Ricotta

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

Recipe Tips

• Cook the jumbo shells just until they’re tender enough to fill. They still have another 20 minutes in the oven, and the softer they get in the pot, the more likely they are to tear when you start filling them.
• Keep the shells in a single layer in the baking dish. They can sit right next to each other, but stacking them means some get more heat and browned cheese than others, and I’ve never been into creating a stuffed-shell hierarchy.
• If you decide to broil the cheese, stay close once the broiler goes on. Three to five minutes is usually enough, but broilers do whatever they want and they do it really quickly.

Make-Ahead, Storage and Reheating

• You can assemble the entire pan up to one day ahead, cover it tightly and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake. I let the dish sit out while the oven preheats, then plan on giving it a few extra minutes if everything is still very cold. If I’m broiling the cheese afterward, I wait until the stuffed shells are hot before switching over to the broiler.
• Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I like to keep some marinara with the shells so the pasta and filling don’t dry out while they sit.
• For more than one serving, I reheat them covered in a 350°F oven until hot, then uncover near the end if I want the cheese on top exposed again. Individual portions are fine in the microwave, although you lose the browned cheese and get soft mozzarella instead.
• You can also freeze the assembled shells before baking. Wrap the dish well and freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking. That’s how I prefer to do it because I’d rather bake the pan once than cook the whole thing, freeze it and ask it to go through all of that again.

FAQs

• Why is my ricotta filling watery?
  The spinach is the first thing I’d blame. Frozen spinach holds a crazy amount of water even after it looks thawed and drained, so squeeze it very thoroughly before it goes into the ricotta filling. Different brands of ricotta can also vary in moisture, but I don’t routinely drain the whole-milk ricotta I use for these stuffed shells.
• Do you cook jumbo shells before stuffing them?
  Yes. Cook them according to the package directions until they’re flexible enough to open and fill without cracking. I don’t cook them any farther than that because they still have time in the oven once they’re stuffed.
• Can I make stuffed shells with ricotta without spinach?
  Yes. Leave it out and don’t replace it with anything. You’ll end up with a more cheese-forward filling, while the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, garlic, herbs and seasonings can stay the same.
• Why do my stuffed shells tear?
  Usually because they’ve gotten too soft, stuck together or had a rough time in the pot. That’s why I cook extras from the beginning and toss them gently with a little oil after draining. A small tear still doesn’t concern me. If the shell can hold the ricotta filling, it’s going into the pan.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• Just because it split open doesn’t mean it has to be thrown away. Sometimes it still holds what I need it to be.
• Adding more doesn’t always improve anything. I just have to know when I’ve reached it.
• Being surrounded by something good is different from being buried in it.
• I’ve spent a lot of time trying to keep everything together when a small tear was never the real problem.
• I don’t need boundaries from anything that can hold what’s important to me.
• I’ll give some things another twenty minutes. There are others I already know are done.
• I can keep something together for quite a while by giving it somewhere good to end up.

When Red Sauce and Cheese Are Dinner

• Baked Manicotti – Ricotta, spinach, pasta shells, marinara, mozzarella.
• Bake Rigatoni – Rigatoni, ground beef, mozzarella, red sauce.
• Pasta Pie – Rigatoni, meat sauce, mozzarella, baked upright.
• Pizza Casserole – Pasta, pizza sauce, mozzarella, pizza toppings.
• Spicy Roasted Tomato Vodka Pasta – Roasted grape tomatoes, vodka sauce, pasta, Parmesan.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Print Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Stuffed Shells with Ricotta

Stuffed Shells with Ricotta are packed with a seasoned spinach and three-cheese filling, baked with plenty of marinara and finished under the broiler for browned mozzarella on top.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian-American

Keyword: cheese stuffed shells, Italian American stuffed shells, Ricotta Stuffed Shells, stuffed shells with ricotta, stuffed shells with ricotta cheese

Servings: 6

Calories: 540kcal

Author: Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• large pot Gives the jumbo pasta shells enough room to cook without crowding.
• Colander Drains the pasta thoroughly before the shells are filled.
• mixing bowls Has enough room to evenly mix the spinach, cheeses, herbs and seasonings into the ricotta filling.
• baking dish 9 x 13 Holds the stuffed shells in a single layer with lots of marinara on the bottom.

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 25 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) avocado oil or any other neutral oil
• 1 tub (15 oz / 425 g) whole milk ricotta cheese
• 2 cups (8 oz /227 g) shredded mozzarella cheese divided
• 1 cup (100 g) grated Parmesan cheese
• 5 oz (142 g) frozen, chopped spinach thawed and squeezed very dry
• 1 large egg
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsps (8 g) chopped fresh parsley divided
• 1 tbsp (3 g) chopped fresh basil
• 2 tsps (4 g) Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp (1.5 g) garlic powder
• ½ tsp (1 g) onion powder
• ¼ tsp (0.5 g) red pepper flakes
• ¼ tsp (0.8 g) kosher salt
• ¼ tsp (0.5 g) black pepper
• 3 cups (710 ml) marinara sauce divided

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish with cooking spray.
  cooking spray
• Cook at least 25 jumbo pasta shells according to package directions, allowing extra shells for any that tear or break during cooking. Drain well, drizzle with avocado oil and carefully toss to prevent sticking. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
  25 jumbo pasta shells, 1 tbsp (15 ml) avocado oil
• Meanwhile, add ricotta cheese, 1 cup (113 g) mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach, egg, garlic, 1 tablespoon (4 g) parsley, basil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper to a large bowl. Mix thoroughly until the spinach, cheeses, herbs and seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the ricotta filling.
  1 tub (15 oz / 425 g) whole milk ricotta cheese, 2 cups (8 oz /227 g) shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 cup (100 g) grated Parmesan cheese, 5 oz (142 g) frozen, chopped spinach, 1 large egg, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tbsps (8 g) chopped fresh parsley, 1 tbsp (3 g) chopped fresh basil, 2 tsps (4 g) Italian seasoning, ½ tsp (1.5 g) garlic powder, ½ tsp (1 g) onion powder, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) red pepper flakes, ¼ tsp (0.8 g) kosher salt, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) black pepper
• Spread 2 cups (473 ml) marinara sauce evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Fill each cooked jumbo shell with the ricotta cheese mixture and arrange the stuffed shells in a single layer over the marinara.
  3 cups (710 ml) marinara sauce
• Spoon the remaining 1 cup (237 ml) marinara sauce over the stuffed shells and sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1 cup (113 g) mozzarella.
• Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, until the stuffed shells are heated through and the mozzarella is completely melted.
• Set the broiler to 500°F (260°C) and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely, until the mozzarella is browned to your liking. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon (4 g) parsley before serving.

Notes

• Squeeze the thawed spinach very well before adding it to the ricotta filling. Removing as much water as possible keeps excess moisture out of the filling.
• Cook at least 25 jumbo shells even though you may not use every one. Some inevitably tear or split during cooking, and shells with small tears can still be filled and baked.
• Watch the mozzarella continuously once the baking dish goes under the broiler. Broilers vary considerably, and the cheese can move from melted to browned quickly.
• The stuffed shells are ready to serve once they’re heated through and the mozzarella is completely melted. I like to broil them for 3 to 5 minutes afterward for browned cheese on top, but this step can be skipped. If you do broil, make sure your baking dish is rated for broiler use because some stoneware and glass baking dishes are not. A disposable aluminum foil pan can be used instead, or you can brown the mozzarella with a kitchen torch after baking.
• Nutritional values are estimates and can vary with the brands of ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, marinara and pasta used.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Stuffed Shells with Ricotta

Amount Per Serving (300 g)

Calories 540 Calories from Fat 234

% Daily Value*

Fat 26g40%

Saturated Fat 14g88%

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 8g

Cholesterol 84mg28%

Sodium 890mg39%

Potassium 650mg19%

Carbohydrates 49g16%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 29g58%

Vitamin A 1900IU38%

Vitamin C 8mg10%

Calcium 650mg65%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Have you made these Stuffed Shells with Ricotta? I’d love to hear how it turned out — leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.