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–+ servings

Stuffed Shells with Spinach

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 402kcal
Author: Jessica Gavin
Stuffed shells recipe with spinach and three kinds of cheese! Ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella pair nicely with a homemade sausage marinara sauce.

Ingredients

Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
  • ½ pound (227 g) mild Italian sausage
  • ½ cup (67 g) yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon (3 g) minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) tomato paste
  • 28 ounces (794 g) crushed tomatoes, San Marzano recommended
  • ½ teaspoon oregano, dried
  • ¾ teaspoon (4 g) kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Stuffed Shells
  • 16 jumbo pasta shells, cook a couple extra in case some break
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons (6 g) minced garlic
  • 4 cups (144 g) spinach leaves, packed, roughly chopped
  • 15 ounces ricotta cheese, whole milk
  • 1 cup (87 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • ½ cup (30 g) Parmesan cheese, finely shredded, plus more for garnish
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon (3 g) chopped parsley
  • 1 tablespoon (3 g) chopped basil
  • 1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Special Equipment

Instructions

Sauce
  • Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, once hot add sausage. Break the meat up into smaller pieces as it cooks and is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
  • Add onion and garlic to a pan, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper, stir well to combine.
  • Increase heat to medium-high and bring sauce to a simmer. Cover the pan, leaving a small opening for steam to escape, and lower the heat to low so that the sauce simmers.
  • Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add some water if the sauce starts to look dry. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  • Add meat sauce to a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread evenly in the pan.
Stuffed Shells
  • Set the oven rack to the center position. Preheat to 400°F (204ºC) degrees.
  • Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place shells on a sheet pan then set aside.
  • Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, once hot add 2 teaspoons garlic and saute until fragrant but not browned, 30 seconds.
  • Add spinach and cook, occasionally stirring until the leaves begin to wilt but are still bright green, 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
  • Stir together cooled spinach, ricotta (1 ½ cups), mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, parsley, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg until thoroughly combined.
  • Transfer cheese filling into a large resealable plastic bag or piping bag. Cut off one edge of the bag and pipe each pasta shell with ricotta mixture, and place it in the baking dish.
  • Cover the shells with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the foil and continue cooking until the sauce begins to bubble about 5 minutes.
  • Serve warm with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Notes

  • Store-bought tomato sauce can be used, add 3 cups (28 ounces) with the browned sausage and simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Ground chicken, turkey, or beef can be substituted for sausage.
  • MAKE IT LOW-CARB: Instead of pasta shells, use zucchini (thin sheets or boats), small bell peppers, or mushrooms caps (portobello medium or large sizes). 

Nutrition

Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 1150mg | Potassium: 639mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2130IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 322mg | Iron: 2.9mg
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