Do you boil the shells first for stuffed shells?

Yes. Boil to al dente, then drain. Uncooked shells don't soften enough when baked.

My ricotta filling is too runny. How do I fix it?

Make sure to squeeze the spinach super dry so that its texture is dry and crumbly.

Are manicotti and stuffed shells the same?

No. Manicotti are large tubes: see my Easy Manicotti Recipe .

How many stuffed shells per person?

Four shells is a good serving for a main dish dinner, so this pan serves 6.

Can stuffed shells be made ahead?

Yes, you can make them refrigerated up to 1 day assembled. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the bake time if you're baking right from the fridge.

Easy Stuffed Shells

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5 from 2 reviews

This stuffed shells recipe is an easy dinner recipe that everyone loves! It features a tasty spinach and ricotta filling, baked with gooey mozzarella in a garlicky tomato sauce.

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 6 1x
Category: Main Dish
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

24 jumbo pasta shells (6.5 ounces)
28 ounces fire roasted crushed tomatoes*
1 garlic clove, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
10 ounces frozen spinach
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups whole milk mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 egg
Chopped parsley or basil, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Boil the shells until al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain them and return them to the pot. Stir in a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce: In a medium bowl, mix the fire roasted tomatoes, grated garlic, olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Mix well until all the olive oil is incorporated.
Make the filling: Thaw the spinach following the package instructions, then squeeze out as much water as possible with your hands (it should feel dry and crumbly before using it). Mix it with the other filling ingredients: the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, lemon zest, egg, 1 teaspoon oregano and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt.
Spread half the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan. Take the shells one at a time and stuff them with about 2 rounded tablespoons of the cheese mixture. Top with more tomato sauce and then mozzarella cheese (I spread the sauce and cheese in lines over the top of each row of shells, so you can still see the shell shapes).
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then uncover and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more until the cheese is melted. Garnish with chopped parsley or basil and serve. Leftovers last refrigerated for 4 days; reheat in a 375°F oven until warmed through. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.

Notes

*If desired, you can use purchased marinara sauce instead of making your own. If so, still add the 1 clove grated garlic and 1 teaspoon dried oregano to enhance the flavor.

Find it online: https://www.acouplecooks.com/stuffed-shells/