# Spinach Stuffed Shells

Spinach Stuffed Shells is a cozy winter meal featuring pasta shells stuffed with a creamy ricotta and spinach filling, baked in a rich marinara sauce, and topped with melted cheese.

- Total time: 20 min
- Cuisine: Italian
- Category: Drink
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 1 box jumbo pasta shells
- 0.25 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion
- Salt
- pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 6 cloves garlic
- 8 oz fresh spinach
- 0.5 lemon zest
- 0.5 lemon juice
- 28 oz whole San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Calabrian chili paste
- 6 basil leaves
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 10 oz mozzarella cheese
- 4 oz Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 0.25 cup fresh parsley
- 6 basil leaves
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

## Instructions

1. Sauté the finely chopped onion for a few minutes with salt and pepper.
2. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the chopped spinach.
3. Season again with salt and squeeze in the juice from half a lemon.
4. Let the spinach wilt and then set aside, making sure to squeeze out as much water as possible.
5. To make the marinara, heat about 1/4 cup of olive oil in a clean pan over medium/low heat.
6. Add the sliced garlic, basil leaves, and Calabrian chilies, and let them sizzle for a couple of minutes.
7. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and let it simmer.
8. Cook the pasta shells to al dente, drain, and set aside.
9. Combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, cooked spinach, fresh basil, fresh parsley, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, nutmeg, and an egg in a bowl.
10. Stir to combine the filling ingredients and set aside.
11. Add a thin layer of marinara sauce to the bottom of a baking dish.
12. Stuff each pasta shell with about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the ricotta filling.
13. Arrange the stuffed shells in the baking dish and dollop in any leftover ricotta filling.
14. Pour the tomato sauce directly on top of the shells.
15. Finish with a layer of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
16. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.
17. Remove the foil and finish under the broiler until golden and bubbly.

## Equipment

- Pan
- Lemon squeezer
- Baking dish
- Grater
- Mixing bowl
- Spoon
- Foil

## Tips

- Squeeze out as much water as you can from the cooked spinach.
- Be careful not to let the garlic burn when making the marinara sauce.
- Drizzle a little olive oil on cooked pasta shells to prevent sticking.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8DE89n1/
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/db989d86-8c58-4b06-8793-1f6b4b341544
- Extracted: 2025-11-18

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt