Stuffed Jumbo Pasta Shells (Printable)

Creamy ricotta and spinach filled jumbo shells baked in savory tomato sauce.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 20 jumbo pasta shells (conchiglioni)
02 - Salt, for boiling water

→ Filling

03 - 14 oz ricotta cheese
04 - 9 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry or 10.5 oz fresh spinach, wilted and chopped
05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 1 garlic clove, minced
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Tomato Sauce

11 - 24 oz tomato passata or crushed tomatoes
12 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
13 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
14 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
15 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
17 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Topping

18 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
19 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F.
02 - Boil salted water in a large pot and cook the jumbo shells until al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and arrange on a tray to prevent sticking.
03 - In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, drained spinach, Parmesan, egg, minced garlic, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Stir until smooth and set aside.
04 - Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add tomato passata, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes.
05 - Spread half of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish.
06 - Fill each pasta shell with 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of the ricotta-spinach mixture and arrange them in the baking dish.
07 - Spoon the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the stuffed shells.
08 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
09 - Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
10 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
11 - Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours in the kitchen, but honest truth: you didn't, and everyone will be impressed anyway.
  • The filling comes together in one bowl with no stress, and you can stuff the shells while watching something on your phone.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day, and they freeze beautifully for nights when you need something warm and familiar.
02 -
  • Squeeze that spinach like your life depends on it—excess moisture is the one thing that will make this dish watery and disappointing.
  • Don't cook the pasta all the way through; stopping short keeps the shells from becoming mushy after baking, which is the difference between a great version and a sad one.
  • The foil is your friend for the first half of baking; without it, the top cheese burns before the filling heats through properly.
03 -
  • If you only have fresh spinach, wilt it gently in a dry pan, then chop and squeeze with all your strength to remove moisture.
  • Make the ricotta filling and tomato sauce the day before if you want less to do on cooking day; they both keep beautifully and actually taste better after sitting overnight.
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