Stuffed shells with spinach, ricotta, and sausage. What is not to love about this classic comfort food? Make these for your next party or potluck dinner and they are sure to impress! They take a little bit of time, but they keep well and freeze well. Totally worth the effort for either a prep to have on hand or something to make for a gathering. Have you ever met anyone who turned down stuffed shells? (Dietary issues notwithstanding, of course!)
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Tips for making these stuffed shells with spinach and meat
- Cook more shells than you want to prepare! Chances are a few will fall apart in the pot before you have the chance to stuff them! This often happens.
- If you want to make sure your shells are al dente, pull them out of the pot a few minutes before you normally would. Keep in mind that they will finish cooking in the baking dish in the oven!
- Make sure you have a clean cooking area before you start with this recipe, and that you’ve got everything on hand once you get started. You will be using several bowls, pots, pans, and baking dishes, so you will need room. (It’s often helpful to clean up as you go, especially if you have a small kitchen. Pop stuff in the sink or the dishwasher, or back into the fridge, as soon as you can.)
How to customize these stuffed shells
- You can absolutely use frozen spinach here. Just make sure to defrost it and drain the excess liquid so it doesn’t get too watery! In fact, it can be a little easier to use frozen. It’s just a matter of squeezing out the liquid.
- Instead of marinara sauce, you can use homemade tomato sauce. You could also go a different direction entirely and use vodka or alfredo sauce!
- Swap out the spinach for baby kale, cooked-down Swiss chard, or arugula for something a little sweeter, earthier, or more peppery (and in that order!)
- Get creative! Add some extra veggies such as finely chopped mushrooms or even shredded carrots.
- Swap the sausage for ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, or vegan sausage. Or simply omit it and make this a vegetarian meal.
- Sprinkle some additional freshly chopped parsley on top of the shells before serving.
- Use a combination of Parmesan and Pecorino Romano for cheese with a little bit more tang to it.
How to store and reheat stuffed shells with spinach
You can assemble these stuffed shells and store them for two days before baking if needed. Just keep them tightly wrapped in the refrigerator so they don’t get dried out. Then, remove them from the fridge and pop them in the oven.
Similarly, you can freeze them, unbaked, as well. All you would need to do is bake them for a little bit longer from frozen and dinner is ready.
After baking, they will be good in the fridge for about 4 days and they are freezer-friendly for up to 3 months! Just make sure they’re in an airtight container.
To reheat them, you can use either the microwave or oven! Just be sure to add a bit of water or more sauce to make sure the shells don’t dry out. You may cover them loosely with foil in the oven, too.
Favorite ways to serve stuffed shells with spinach
I love these just as they are, because they’re so satisfying and filling. But sometimes I’ll serve some garlic bread alongside the shells, or a big salad. Caesar would be great, but anything big, leafy, and green would hit the spot and provide a nice contrast to these cheesy shells.
Check out our other delicious recipes!
- Vegan Pot Pie Pockets
- Brussel Sprout Caesar Salad
- Au Gratin Potatoes With Butternut Squash
- Spinach and Artichoke Dip
- Stuffed Mushrooms
- Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes
- Easy Carrot Cake Recipe
- The Best Chocolate Pecan Pie
Stuffed Shells With Spinach
Ingredients
- 16 jumbo pasta shells with extra in case of breakage
- 2 TBSP olive oil divided
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 6 oz spinach
- salt and pepper to taste
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 4 oz parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 8 oz sausage Italian style, diced small, sub vegan sausage
- 1/2 cup parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup basil chopped
- 24 oz marinara
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the jumbo pasta shells. You’ll need about 16 shells, so cook 20+ in case some break apart while boiling. Boil the shells according to the package instructions (9-12 minutes usually), then drain. Put the shells on a baking sheet to cool, and drizzle with half the oil to keep them from drying out or sticking to each other.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining olive oil and let it heat up for 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant. Then, add the spinach, salt, and pepper and cook until the spinach is wilted, 3-5 minutes.
- Set aside to cool. Once the spinach is cooled, squeeze the liquid out using either your hands, a paper towel, or a cheese cloth. You don't have to get all of the liquid out, just most of it (this keeps your filling from being runny). Once the liquid is out, roughy chop the spinach and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the ricotta, half the mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, sausage, parsley, basil, spinach and salt/pepper. Mix until everything is fully incorporated.
- Prepare the baking dish. Pour all the marinara in the bottom of a 9×13 dish. Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C).
- Stuff the shells. You can do this with a spoon, or you can put the filling into a gallon-sized bag and cut a large piece off the corner (this is a chunky mixture!). Add 2-3 TBSP of filling to each shell. Place the shells in the marinara as you complete them. Once they are all filled, top with the remaining mozzarella.
- Bake covered for 35 minutes. If desired, broil for an additional 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese (keep a close eye on it!). Let cool slightly before serving. Let cool fully before storing.
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