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Close up shot of stuffed shells being served.

Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Pesto

These Stuffed Shells with Pesto and Spinach is a delicious vegetarian meal with three cheeses, pesto, and frozen spinach stuffed into large shells and topped with sauce and more cheese. A hearty and cheesy meal the whole fam will love. 
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 10 oz frozen chopped spinach
  • 15 oz whole milk ricotta cheese (1 ¾ cups)
  • ½ cup grated parmesan
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tablespoon pesto homemade or store-bought, separated
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 7 oz jumbo shell pasta (half a box)
  • 1 jar marinara sauce
  • 4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese torn
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350℉.
  • In a large pot of salted water cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside. 
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, parmesan, spinach, pesto, egg, salt, and pepper. Once mixed together, transfer to a plastic bag and snip the bottom about 1 inch deep. 
  • To a baking dish, pour ½ cup of sauce on the bottom.
  • To each cooked shell, squeeze in a few tablespoons of the cheese mixture and place it open-side up in the baking dish. Repeat until the dish is full/you are out of pasta.
  • Pour the remaining sauce over the shells and top with a few dollops of pesto and a torn mozzarella cheese.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350℉ until the cheese is bubbly. Option to broil for a few minutes to get brown on the top.

Notes

  • Make sure you boil the shells to al-dente. This is usually a minute or two before the package indicates. They will finish cooking as they bake in the oven.
  • Boil a few extra shells, some may break so it’s good to have backups. 
  • Swap fresh spinach if you’d like - sauté it and squeeze out any excess moisture before adding to the cheese mixture. 
  • Add veggies or meat to the sauce - if you’re using jarred sauce you can cook the meat separately and combine it with the sauce before you assemble the dish. 
  • Instead of torn mozzarella on the top you could just add more shredded mozzarella.
  • You can use a spoon to get the filling into the shells but I find it's easier to use the bag - it gets a little messy otherwise.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 616kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 1270mg | Potassium: 536mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 9418IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 695mg | Iron: 3mg
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Pasta, Stuffed Shells
Author: Haley