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baked spinach ricotta stuffed shells 318586187

Cheesy Baked Spinach Ricotta Shells

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Enjoy **Baked Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells**! Giant pasta shells with cheesy filling, mozzarella & tasty tomato sauce. Perfect weeknight meal.
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Prep Time 17 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 2 minutes
Servings: 1
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 392
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the tomato sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium brown onion (150g) finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon tomato puree (paste)
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 2 14.5 oz can of diced/chopped tomatoes (400g)
For the stuffed shells:
  • 21 large pasta shells
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 6 ½ packed cups of spinach (200g)
  • 1 cup of ricotta (1 x 250g tub)
  • ⅔ cup of grated mozzarella (1 x140g ball) grated
  • 1 clove of garlic minced
  • A small handful of basil leaves finely chopped + more for garnish
  • ¼ cup of vegetarian parmesan style cheese (50g) finely grated + more for serving
  • ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Method
 

Tomato Sauce:
  1. Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan. Add onion and a pinch of sea salt; cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until translucent and springy. Next, add garlic and dried oregano; cook for one minute until aromatic.
  2. Pour in two cans of tomatoes. Add about ¼ cup of water to each can, swirl, then pour into the pan. Stir in balsamic vinegar, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes until slightly reduced.
Spinach and Ricotta Filling:
  1. Heat half a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add half the spinach and stir until it wilts. Add the remaining spinach and continue stirring until all spinach has wilted.
  2. Remove wilted spinach from the pan and let it cool slightly. Once cooled, squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Roughly chop the spinach and add it to a large mixing bowl.
  3. Cook pasta shells in a large pan of well-salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander, then rinse under cold water.
  4. Add ricotta, grated pecorino, garlic, chopped basil, salt, and freshly grated black pepper to a bowl; mix well.
Assembly and Baking:
  1. Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C).
  2. Fill pasta shells with the spinach and ricotta mixture, using about two teaspoons per shell. Do not overfill the shells.
  3. Place the stuffed shells onto the sauce. Sprinkle grated mozzarella and a little grated pecorino over the shells. Bake uncovered in the oven for 30 minutes.
  4. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving. Top with a sprinkling of grated pecorino and scatter a couple of extra basil leaves.

Nutrition

Calories: 392kcalCarbohydrates: 50.1gProtein: 21.7gFat: 15.9gSaturated Fat: 6.8gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 359mgFiber: 4.7gSugar: 5.7g

Notes

  1. Pasta Shells - Use giant shells, cook them for 5 minutes less than the packet cooking times. Drain and rinse them under a running cold tap. This will cool them so they are easier to handle.
  2. Spinach -  I use fresh spinach but you can use frozen if you wish. You will need to immerse it in hot water for a minute then drain and squeeze any excess water. You will need about 50g or ⅔ of a cup more than the recipe indicates.
  3. Ricotta -  Look for good quality ricotta, some cheaper brands can be very grainy to bear that in mind.
  4. Storing - This will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Cover it tightly then reheat in the microwave.
  5. Freezing - Freeze this dish uncooked. Do not bake then cover, cool, label and freeze. Freeze for up to 3 months. This can be cooked from frozen. Pop it in a preheated oven 200C/392F covered for 30 minutes. Remove the foil then cook for another 5 - 1o minutes.
  6.  Pan -  My pan is very large, it measures 28cm/11 inches in diameter and is 7cm/3 inches deep. You can use a large casserole dish if you prefer.
  7. Nutrition - Based on one serving, nutritional information is approximate and is calculated using an online nutrition tool.