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Home » Recipes » Pasta Recipes » 5 Ingredient Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

5 Ingredient Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

May 18, 2019 By Elena Szeliga 40 Comments Last updated April 24, 2020

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These 5-ingredient spinach and ricotta stuffed shells is a quick and simple vegetarian pasta dinner that is perfect for a busy weeknight or a special occasion. These easy stuffed shells provide a comforting, wholesome, flavorful treat and make the perfect 30 minute meal the whole family will enjoy.

Jumbo Shells Stuffed with Ricotta and Spinach in a Large Rectangular Casserole Dish

These vegetarian stuffed shells with spinach are frequent fliers in our home and they’re likely to become the same in yours. The rich, creamy ricotta, spicy marinara, and comforting pasta make this meal a hit every single time…especially with the cook, because of how easy and quick they are to make.

Easy Stuffed Shells With Spinach And Ricotta

Five ingredients, 30 minutes, no chopping, no slicing, no cutting. You can even freeze them and have them ready for your next surprise guest or busy evening.

You can make this up in a large casserole dish or darling little single serve ramekins for each person. Whatever you choose, the recipe stays the same.

Stuffed Shells in a Rectangular Dish and in Individual Ramekins

Chewy large pasta shells with crunchy baked rims stuffed with a creamy mixture of spinach and ricotta cheese floating in rich marinara sauce and sprinkled with your favorite hard cheese… Sounds like the best comfort food you can imagine.

Taking into account their impressive looks it’s amazing how easy it is to make these spinach and ricotta stuffed shells.

Ricotta Stuffed Shells with Spinach in a Ramekin

Is Pasta Actually Healthy?

Yes! Yes, it is. Commence the happy dancing. Pasta is actually good for you!

There’s no need at all to avoid it in your diet, contrary to popular diet fads. 

In fact, the Mediterranean diet is recognized as one of the world’s healthiest diets and pasta is an essential part of the Mediterranean diet, making it a staple food that pairs perfectly with other healthy foods in this diet like vegetables and healthy fats.

Being a part of a well-balanced diet, pasta is a great source of carbohydrates that give your body energy. Carbohydrates are good but eating too much of them can lead to gaining weight. Dieticians recommend carbohydrates to make up to 65% of your daily calorie intake.

Dry Shells Next to Stuffed Shells in a Baking Dish Collage

However, you should use the right type of pasta for it to be beneficial for your health. Whole wheat pasta is made of complex carbohydrates that release the energy slowly, making you feel full longer. It also provides dietary fiber that improves digestion and keeps your heart and blood system healthy.

Pasta is the best for you when you pair it with protein-rich cheese, lots of vegetables packed with dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals and tomato-based sauces packed with antioxidants.

This is exactly the way this recipe is. It uses ricotta cheese for protein, making the meal hearty, spinach for vegetables that has an extraordinary nutritious profile, and sugar-free marinara sauce (I recommend Cucina Antica organic marinara sauce or make your own if you have time).

Closeup of Stuffed Shells in Rows

Ingredients for Spinach Stuffed Shells

There is literally nothing easier than making these spinach and ricotta stuffed shells. All you need is 5 basic ingredients:

  • garlic;
  • spinach;
  • ricotta cheese;
  • large pasta shells;
  • marinara sauce.

I assume  you have olive oil, salt and pepper at home, so I don’t include them in the list. Additionally, you can garnish the finished dish with your favorite grated hard cheese.

Ingredients for Ricotta Stuffed Shells Spinach, Ricotta, Marinara Sauce, Garlic and Jumbo Shells

 

How to Make Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta

Here’s the trick to not having your pasta stick to the pan: put your layer of marinara in the pan first. Don’t top the stuffed shells with sauce like a lot of people do.

To start with, preheat the oven to 180C or 350F and fill the pan (ramekins) with marinara sauce. Put it in the oven and let the sauce heat through for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente, per package directions. Cook your spinach with a little garlic and drain well to remove excess liquid before adding ricotta, salt and pepper to taste.

Ricotta and Spinach Filling in a Large Mixing Bowl with a Rubber Spatula

Once your pasta is cooked, you’ll gently fill it with the creamy spinach ricotta filling you made up while the pasta was cooking.

Top the heated sauce with stuffed shells and bake until edges are golden brown, from 15 to 20 minutes.

When the shells are done baking you can sprinkle on your favorite hard cheese like vegetarian parmesan or Romano (or a mix of both!) and enjoy.

Told you these stuffed shells were super easy!

A Serving of Stuffed Shells on a Plate Next to a Casserole Dish

Other Healthy Vegetarian Pasta Dinners

Are you sold on the delicious, nutritious pasta as part of your dinner now?

After you enjoy these spinach and ricotta stuffed shells, you’ll be eager to enjoy more veggies, cheese, and pasta meals.

Pumpkin pasta with spinach and mushrooms is a super popular option! And healthy vegan fettuccine Alfredo is a vegan twist on a classic dinner.

And let’s not leave out vegan mac and cheese and vegan pesto pasta for more family favorite comfort foods turned vegetarian delights.

A Baking Pan with Stuffed Shells in Marinara Sauce Next to Two Ramekins

Cook’s Tips

  • These stuffed shells with spinach can be stored in the fridge for about 3 days. To reheat them, microwave them or warm in the oven. Don’t preheat, especially if you are using a glass casserole dish.
  • Freeze the shells for up to 3 months. If freezing, better use an aluminum foil baking pan.

Recipe Variations

  • Use regular parmesan for a non-vegetarian version. Just FYI, Parmesan cheese is NOT vegetarian.
  • You can use frozen spinach instead of fresh. Make sure to thaw it before cooking.
  • Use gluten-free pasta or whole grain pasta for this recipe.

MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE: Be sure to buy gluten-free jumbo shells.

MAKE IT VEGAN: Replace the regular ricotta with vegan ricotta and skip the hard cheese or use vegan substitutes.

MAKE IT QUICK: Make the ricotta spinach filling in advance, so the shells come together more quickly.

Hands holding an Individual Ramekin with Two Stuffed Shells in Marinara Sauce

I created a video recipe to make things even easier for you. If you can’t see the video, disable your AdBlock for this page by clicking on the AdBlock button and selecting Don’t run on this page. Hope it helps!

What is your favorite pasta dinner? Leave a comment below! Don’t forget to give a star rating to this recipe if you like it!

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4.72 from 49 votes

5 Ingredient Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta

Super Easy 5 ingredient Stuffed Shells recipe with spinach and ricotta will take you no more than 30 minutes to make. Delicious, healthy, comforting and wholesome vegetarian pasta dinner your whole family will enjoy!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword ricotta stuffed shells, spinach stuffed shells, stuffed shells
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 223kcal
Author Elena Szeliga

Ingredients

  • 25 fl oz or 700 ml marinara sauce
  • 16 jumbo shells plus 2-3 extra ones in case some of the shells break during cooking
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 17 oz or 500 g fresh spinach See notes
  • 9 oz or 250 g ricotta cheese
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • grated hard cheese to serve

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F or 180 C. Take a big rectangular baking pan (I used a 13 x 9 inch pan (33 x 22 cm) or individual oval-shaped ramekins. Fill the pan (ramekins) with marinara sauce. Bake for about 10 minutes to heat through.
  • Meanwhile, cook the pasta shells until al dente, as per instructions on the package. Drain well. Heat a lug of olive oil in a large skillet and sautée minced garlic until fragrant. Add spinach and cook for about 7 minutes or until all the leaves turn dark green. Drain it well, removing all the excess moisture (you can keep the spinach water for soups or sauces).
  • Combine the spinach with ricotta cheese and stuff shells with the mixture, using about 1 tablespoon of stuffing for each shell. Place the stuffed shells on top of the marinara sauce. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Enjoy!

Notes

Cook’s Tips

  • These stuffed shells can be stored in the fridge for about 3 days. To reheat them, microwave them or warm in the oven. Don’t preheat, especially if you are using a glass casserole dish.
  • Freeze the shells for up to 3 months. If freezing, better use an aluminum foil baking pan.

Recipe Variations

  • Use regular parmesan for a non-vegetarian version. Just FYI, Parmesan cheese is NOT vegetarian.
  • You can use frozen spinach instead of fresh. Make sure to thaw it before cooking.
  • Use gluten-free pasta or whole grain pasta for this recipe.
 
MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE: Be sure to buy gluten-free jumbo shells.
MAKE IT VEGAN: Replace the regular ricotta with vegan ricotta and skip the hard cheese or use vegan substitutes.
MAKE IT QUICK: Make the ricotta spinach filling in advance, so the shells come together more quickly.

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 746mg | Potassium: 948mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 8255IU | Vitamin C: 31.5mg | Calcium: 190mg | Iron: 3.9mg
Tried this recipe?Follow @happykitchen.rocks on Instagram and show me the recipes you are making from my blog using the hashtag #happykitchenrocks!

Other Pasta Recipes You’ll Love:

  • Vegan Pesto Pasta with Beans and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
  • Healthy Pumpkin Pasta with Spinach and Mushrooms
  • Silky Vegan Mac and Cheese
  • The Creamiest Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
Pinterest Image of Stuffed Shells with Ricotta Cheese
Ricotta and Spinach Pasta Casserole with Marinara Sauce Pinterest Collage
5 Ingredient Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta Collage with Text Overlay
5 Ingredient Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta Collage with Text Overlay

Filed Under: Dinner Recipes, Pasta Recipes, Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tagged With: 30min recipe, all-season

About Elena Szeliga

Elena Szeliga is the founder of Happy Kitchen.Rocks, where she shares delicious and healthy vegetarian and vegan food, from weeknight dinners to veganized classics and gourmet appetizers. Her recipes have been featured at Better Homes & Gardens, BuzzFeed, Country Living, The Kitchn and Reader’s Digest. Her mission is to help cook easy vegetarian and vegan meals with simple and fresh ingredients. Read more about Elena.

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Comments

  1. Bonnie Martin says

    October 29, 2020 at 10:56 pm

    I don’t have the large shells. Wondering if I could do it “unstuffed” meaning spread spinach mixture over shells instead of stuffing them? Looks good!

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      October 30, 2020 at 10:22 am

      Absolutely! The filling works beautifully over any type of pasta. Hope you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply
  2. Jennifer T Tammy says

    May 24, 2019 at 7:28 pm

    5 stars
    OM Gosh this is one of my favorites – I love when I see stuffed pasta shells at potlucks!

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      May 24, 2019 at 7:54 pm

      It’s always a hit with my family 🙂 Thank you Jennifer!

      Reply
  3. Neeraj Soni says

    May 23, 2019 at 9:23 am

    5 stars
    Hii…!!
    Elena,

    This is Neeraj from F and B Stories, First of all, I would like to thank you for sharing such a amazing recepies with us. The Stuffed Shells are delicious and looks yummy too…!! And the combination of ingrediants like , Spinach and Ricotta in it was superb….

    Keep sharing
    cheers 🙂

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      May 23, 2019 at 10:34 am

      SO glad you like the recipe Neeraj! Thank you for stopping by 😉

      Reply
  4. Helena says

    May 21, 2019 at 8:18 pm

    5 stars
    Such a quick and simple recipe that is super healthy, too! I really like the shape of the shells – so cute!

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      May 21, 2019 at 8:29 pm

      Yes, they look so cute! Hope you enjoy the recipe 😉

      Reply
  5. Sara says

    July 2, 2018 at 12:14 am

    5 stars
    i had a bit of a difficult time stuffing the shells so i pureed the spinach and ricotta. it came out a light green colour but was easier for me to stuff
    and tasted great

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      July 2, 2018 at 9:17 am

      That’s a good idea! Thank you for sharing your feedback Sara!

      Reply
  6. jenny says

    May 27, 2018 at 7:09 am

    5 stars
    that looks amazing!!! And seems so doable.

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      May 27, 2018 at 12:02 pm

      Thank you Jenny! You are right, these shells are so easy to make 😉

      Reply
  7. Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life says

    March 12, 2018 at 6:28 am

    5 stars
    I am ALWAYS on the look out for easy, delicious weeknight meals and these look perfect! I can’t wait to give them a try.

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      March 12, 2018 at 11:33 am

      Hope you enjoy them Claire! Thank you!

      Reply
  8. Amanda says

    March 12, 2018 at 3:12 am

    5 stars
    I love that you addressed the health benefits of pasta here, because I think so often it’s a point that’s overlooked! I’m also loving the idea of using individual ramekins to bake the stuffed shells. What a cute, perfectly portioned serving, and a great way to get dinner on the table easily!

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      March 12, 2018 at 11:32 am

      Thank you so much Amanda! So glad you like the post!

      Reply
  9. Matt says

    March 11, 2018 at 10:46 pm

    5 stars
    I love that these stuffed shells take less than 30 minutes to make! They look bloody delicious too. Well done!

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      March 12, 2018 at 11:32 am

      Thank you Matt! Being a busy mom, 30 minute dinner meals are my lifesavers 🙂

      Reply
  10. Tamara says

    March 11, 2018 at 7:56 pm

    5 stars
    Your 5 Ingredient Stuffed Shells recipe looks like a tasty, quick weeknight dinner! Perfect for a busy night… Just FYI, the marinara sauce link goes to Taco Bell fire sauce. I’m guessing that’s not what you wanted?

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      March 12, 2018 at 11:25 am

      Thank you so much for noticing this Tamara! I will fix it asap!

      Reply
  11. Sharon says

    March 11, 2018 at 4:07 am

    5 stars
    These stuffed shells sound so easy and delicious. I also think that a healthy diet should include pasta especially if it has ricotta. Love this recipe.

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      March 11, 2018 at 5:34 pm

      Thank you Sharon! Pasta shouldn’t be off the table just because it contains gluten, right? 😉

      Reply
  12. Monica | Nourish & Fete says

    March 9, 2018 at 8:27 pm

    5 stars
    I love making stuffed shells, but it has never even once occurred to me to prepare them in individually-portioned ramekins. I think this is so genius – it would be fun for any family dinner, but I also feel like it would elevate this comfort food to total dinner party fancy-ness!

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      March 10, 2018 at 8:06 pm

      Thank you so much Monica! I like to serve them in ramekins for special occasions. More often I just make a double batch: a big pan with shells and a few ramekins for lunch on the next day 😉

      Reply
  13. prasanna hede says

    March 9, 2018 at 6:01 pm

    5 stars
    This looks so awesome!I did not try this like ever but now I am eager to try!

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      March 10, 2018 at 8:03 pm

      I’m sure you’ll love them 😉

      Reply
  14. Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen says

    March 9, 2018 at 3:19 pm

    5 stars
    I will never say no to a pasta dish! I love the idea of serving them in ramekins, really original and adds a bit of class! A great weeknight recipe indeed!

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      March 10, 2018 at 8:03 pm

      Thank you Carrie! I like to serve these shells in ramekins for a date night 😉

      Reply
  15. Patty @ Patty Cake's Pantry says

    March 8, 2018 at 9:09 pm

    5 stars
    Spinach is my favorite side dish to serve with tomato and pasta dishes. I suppose that’s because my mother always served it that way. I love that you added spinach to these stuffed shells. I usually only stuff mine with a mixture of cheeses. Adding spinach means I don’t have to serve a vegetable side unless I want to. I also love that this is practically a one dish meal.

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      March 9, 2018 at 12:35 pm

      Thank you so much Patty! These memories are so precious! True that you don’t need a side dish for these shells. Makes it easier and also quicker!

      Reply
  16. dixya @food, pleasure, and health says

    March 8, 2018 at 8:52 pm

    5 stars
    this is my idea of a weeknight dinner and leftover lunch..also, you cant go wrong with 5 ingredient dish.

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      March 9, 2018 at 12:37 pm

      That’s exactly the way we do it: weeknight dinner and then lunch on the next day. Saves so much time! Thank you Dixya!

      Reply
  17. maslinux says

    March 6, 2018 at 5:30 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Lydia, I think it works a little better with ranchero since ricotta cheese has more liquid and it blends into the marinara making it more of a creamy sauce. It could work and I have tested a similar casserole with ricotta but I prefer the ranchero for the casserole lasagna. I do love ricotta in the regular lasagna since it is in layers and doesn”t blend as much into the marinara sauce.

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      March 6, 2018 at 8:29 pm

      I will try it that way next time! I didn’t notice ricotta blending with marinara though but I guess it highly depends on your ricotta. Thank you for stopping by! I’m Elena by the way 🙂

      Reply
  18. Elaine @ Dishes Delish says

    March 6, 2018 at 2:39 pm

    5 stars
    Stuffed shells are such comfort food for me! My mom used to make an insanely large batch to feed us all. Funnily enough, I have only made stuffed shells once. But now that I see your easy and delicious your recipe looks, I want to make it again!

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      March 6, 2018 at 8:03 pm

      So glad my recipe brought up these lovely memories of your childhood! Hope you can try it again soon! Thanks Elaine!

      Reply
  19. Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says

    March 6, 2018 at 12:15 am

    5 stars
    Noting beats a great pasta dish. These stuffed shells are perfect to feed a family. Also great for entertaining since they make such a great presentation. Love the filling…spinach and ricotta are a match made in heaven.

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      March 6, 2018 at 10:32 am

      Thank you Gloria! I love these shells and every time I serve them they are a hit!

      Reply
  20. Cindy says

    March 3, 2018 at 5:31 pm

    5 stars
    Looks so good and I love whole wheat pasta. Wondering if I can make this with frozen spinach?

    Reply
    • Elena Szeliga says

      March 3, 2018 at 6:07 pm

      Hi Cindy! Yes, totally! Just make sure to drain the liquid once it’s cooked. Hope you like the shells!

      Reply

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