When I think of fun kosher Italian meals I can make at home, the first recipe that comes to mind is Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Shells. As complex as they seem, these ricotta stuffed shells are easy to make and can be ready in under an hour. Grab your 9x13 inch baking dish and read on to learn how to make the best Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Shells recipe from scratch.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Easy. Have I mentioned that this recipe is easy to make. It is. The filling is all mixed together in a large bowl and spooned into the shells and then into the oven. That's it!
- Variable. There are so many tweaks that you can make to the filling for this recipe that you will develop your own in no time. Add basil, take out the oregano, add red pepper flakes, add fennel seed (this gives it a sausage type flavor). The list is endless but we will give you some of our favorites later on.
- Dairy. Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells are a great filling non-meat recipe. Make these for a special treat for Shavuot or a dairy Shabbat.
- Make them in advance. Spinach Cheese Stuffed Shells can be made ahead of time and will keep for up to 7 days in the refrigerator. They also freeze well when placed into container and wrapped with plastic wrap.
How to make the best Ricotta Stuffed Shells step by step.
Step 1
Boil the pasta. This recipe uses jumbo pasta shells. It is very important not to over boil the pasta. This is a recipe that also requires that the dish is baked so be sure to only boil for 9 minutes. Most commercial pastas will have directions for "al dente" pasta. Make the pasta shells according to these directions but remove a minute before al dente.
Step 2
Prepare the filling. Since the pasta shells only take 9 minutes to cook, you will need something to occupy yourself until they are ready. Use this time to make the stuffed shell filling. Nothing fancy here. Beat the egg in a separate dish and then just mix the ricotta cheese, spinach, garlic powder, oregano, beaten egg, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese together with a spoon in a large bowl.
Step 3
Stuff the shells.
After the pasta is ready, let it cool because you will probably want to use your fingers to stuff the shells. Take each shell and put approximately 3 tablespoon of the filling into each one. You do not need the pasta shells large but they should be well stuffed. You will need to use your fingers to hold the shell open while you use a spoon or your index and middle fingers to insert the filling. Don't worry if they are not perfect, some of the filling is going to end up on the outside of the shells. Think of this step like making stuffed shells lasagna.
Step 5
Pour about ⅓ of a jar of your favorite marinara sauce over the bottom of the 9x13 baking dish and swish it around lightly to spread the sauce evenly.
Step 6
Place the stuffed shells into the pan one by one open side up.
Step 7
Top with the other 2 cups marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. This is really a personal preference as to how much. Some people like their stuffed shells really cheesy and some don't want a lot of extra cheese. In our house, we like it cheesy.
Step 8
Bake at 375ºF for 30 minutes uncovered. At this point the sauce should be bubbling and the cheese should be slightly browned. If not, turn on the broiler for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Recipe FAQ
Cottage cheese is a great substitute for ricotta cheese. They have very similar flavors when cooked. Just be aware that cottage cheese will have a more lumpy texture. Ricotta is much smoother than cottage cheese and has a cream cheese like consistency.
This can happen for a number of reasons. 1. Spinach contains a lot of water that is released during cooking. If you used fresh spinach just be aware that this is an issue. We like frozen spinach for this recipe as it has less of a problem with excess water in the spinach stuffed shells. 2. Some ricotta cheeses have higher moisture contents and can release a lot of it into your stuffed shells. One solution I have seen for this is to spread your ricotta cheese out on to a paper towel before making the filling. This will help to absorb some of the moisture before baking.
Take out of the freezer and unwrap. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350ºF for 50-60 minutes covered. If the cheese is not slightly browned, uncover and turn on the broiler for 30-60 seconds.
Tips and Suggestions
- Add 1 teaspoon of fennel seed to the ricotta and spinach pasta filling to give it a meat filling flavor while remaining dairy and kosher.
- Use 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to spice up your shells.
- Use our alfredo sauce recipe over the pasta with ricotta and spinach instead of marinara sauce. Health disclaimer: Do not do this unless it will be your only meal that day. Great for fast breaking.
- Substitute mix 1 cup of meatless crumblers ground beef substitute into the filling.
- Add ¼ cup of mushrooms or diced fresh red peppers to the filling.
- Use fresh basil instead of spinach in the cheese mixture.
Let us know if you come up with any interesting filling additions by leaving a comment in the comments section.
More recipes like this one
📖 Recipe
Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Shells
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz jumbo pasta shells
- 4 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ cup frozen spinach
- 1 ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder you can also use granulated garlic
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese you can also use Romano cheese
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 jar marinara sauce
Instructions
- Boil pasta for 9 minutes.
- Mix together the ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, ⅛ cup of parmesan cheese, frozen spinach, garlic powder, oregano, and beaten eggs.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Pour ⅓ of the jar of sauce into the baking dish.
- Stuff the jumbo shells with the cheese filling. Place the shells into the baking dish.
- Cover with the remainder of the jar of sauce, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella sauce.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
Notes
Tips and Suggestions
- Add 1 teaspoon of fennel seed to the filling to give it a meat filling flavor while remaining dairy and kosher.
- Use 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to spice up your shells.
- Use our alfredo sauce recipe instead of marinara sauce. Health disclaimer: Do not do this unless it will be your only meal that day. Great for fast breaking.
- Substitute mix 1 cup of meatless crumblers ground beef substitute into the filling.
- Add ¼ cup of mushrooms or diced fresh red peppers to the filling.
- Use fresh basil instead of spinach in the cheese mixture.
