Description
A creamy and comforting dish of large pasta shells filled with a rich mixture of spinach and ricotta, all topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 large conchiglie pasta shells
- 2 cups fresh spinach (or 1 cup frozen, thawed and drained)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- Fresh or dried basil for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta shells until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic until fragrant.
- Add the spinach to the skillet and cook until wilted. Remove from heat.
- In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, sautéed spinach, salt, and pepper to create the filling.
- Stuff each pasta shell with the ricotta-spinach mixture.
- Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce at the bottom of a baking dish. Place stuffed shells upright in the dish.
- Top the shells with remaining marinara sauce and sprinkle additional mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Tightly cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
- Let cool for a few minutes, garnish with basil, and serve warm.
Notes
Prepare the shells a day in advance and refrigerate. Feel free to customize the filling by adding extra vegetables.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 50mg