Easy Stuffed Shells With Spinach
Easy Stuffed Shells With Spinach is a dish that calls for elegant simplicity. Red wine sauce from scratch compliments the herb and spinach ricotta that fills the al dente shells. This is an effortlessly delicious classic!
Table of Contents
Easy Vegetable and Riccota Cheese Stuffed Shells
What’s one to do when you have a ton of Red Wine Pasta Sauce left over? It’s literally a sin to let this go to waste. Pasta again for the second day in a row? What’s not to love!
Three kinds of cheese, loaded with veggies, and packed with herbs, this dish has simple, yet entrancing flavors. Any dish can be enhanced by using fresh herbs, as they bring health benefits, fresh flavor, and pops of color. I stepped out my front door to my kitchen garden where I grow an arrangement of fresh herbs to use in my meals.
The spicy Italian oregano, parsley, and purple basil had been soaking up this radiating Florida sunshine all day and smelled so fragrant. Tossing in these freshly picked herbs with the ricotta was the highlight to this dish. Now to add the bold flavor of asparagus, chopped into tiny bites, and wilted spinach was next level.
What cheeses to use for stuffed shells
For this recipe, we are using accessible, common cheeses that are easily found in the average grocery store. Shredded mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan cheese give these stuffed shells a layered taste.
What to use for filling
Ricotta is always the base of stuffed shells. This soft cheese gives meals moisture and creaminess. An egg is added to hold everything together. This recipe is meant to be a guideline, your palate is to be the siding factor in how this ends up. Wilted spinach, asparagus, garlic, and fresh herbs make this meal a perfect meatless dish. If you’re looking for a little something more, ground Italian sausage is a perfect addition
Freezing stuffed shells is easy! Simply assemble the shells in a dish for all the steps before placing in the oven. Cover the dish, and place in the freezer. When ready to reheat the shells, cook at 350° for 45 minutes, covered.
How to make Easy Stuffed Shells
- Begin by cooking the jumbo shell pasta according to package directions.
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- In a medium pan, heat olive oil over medium-low heat.
- Add garlic to the pan, and cook for 2 minutes. Add spinach and asparagus to the pan and cook until spinach is wilted, 2-5 minutes.
- Add the spinach mixture to a large bowl. Add ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, herbs, and mix to combine.
- In a large oven-safe pan, layer the bottom with sauce. Add shells in one layer, then scoop 1-2 TBS of ricotta mixture filling into the shells.
- Layer sauce on top of shells. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, covered. Mangia!
Other Sea Salt Savorings Classics:
- One-Pan Creamy Lemon Chicken is a simple and satisfying meal that comes together in a half hour or less. With butter and creamy lemon sauce, this seared chicken recipe is satisfying for the whole family!
- Creamy Vegetarian Black Bean Taquitos are packed full of black beans, green chiles, cauliflower rice, and a perfect blend of Mexican spices. With every crunchy bite, there is no doubt this will be your favorite vegetarian dish!
- Easy Loaded Vegetable Pot Pie has all the flavor of Mom’s creamy classic dish, without the meat! With white beans, potatoes, peas, corn, green beans, carrots, celery, and herbs, this dish will leave you feeling nourished and satisfied.
Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram to stay in touch! I love to see your creations! Tag me at #SeaSaltSavorings to show me what you’ve made!
Easy Stuffed Shells With Spinach
Ingredients
- 12 oz jumbo shells
- 32 oz ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 TBS fresh parsley
- 2 TBS fresh basil
- 2 TBS fresh oregano
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup diced asparagus
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 jar pasta sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Cook jumbo shells according to package directions. Drain, and set aside.
- In a medium pan, heat olive oil over medium low heat. Add chopped garlic, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add spinach and asparagus to the pan, let the spinach wilt, about 2-5 minutes. Remove from pan, and place into a large bowl.
- Add ricotta, parmesan cheese, herbs, egg, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Mix to combine.
- In a large oven safe pan, layer sauce in the bottom. Place shells in a single layer on top of the sauce. Put 1-2 TBS of filling in each shell. Pour sauce over shells. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Cover in tin foil.
- Place in oven, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and mangia!
Nutrition values are estimates, for exact values consult a nutritionist.
