I posted my January Meal Ideas on Tuesday and I’m instantly adding this recipe to the mix this month. This Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells recipe is everything that screams January. It’s a healthier (oh hey, New Year’s Resolutions!) stuffed shell recipe with all the creamy, delicious goodness of a good ‘ol fashioned traditional one (looking at you, comfort dishes). Including the spinach, mushrooms, and red peppers is a simple way to “hide” those veggies into a pasta dish easily for your picky or non-veggie eaters and they add the perfect dose of fresh ingredients to this dish.
Don’t be scared of a stuffed shell. These uncooked shells are dumped in a pot of boiling water and cooked for just under 10 minutes before they’re perfectly bendable to be stuffed with this yummy ricotta filling. No stress, no fuss. A simple stuffed pasta dish that looks much more difficult than it actually is.
Snag a box of shells and impress the whole family with this perfect, always a hit, stuffed shell recipe this month!
Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 24 pieces jumbo shells, uncooked
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/2 red pepper, chopped
- 6 small mushrooms, chopped
- 1 cup fresh spinach, stems removed and roughly chopped
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 2 Tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Lightly grease 13×9 pan and set aside.
- Fill a large pot roughly halfway and bring to a boil. Cook jumbo shells as directed on packaging. Drain well.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil at medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add in chopped red pepper and mushrooms. Cook about 2 to 3 additional minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add in chopped spinach and mix until spinach has wilted in the pan. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and your vegetable mixture.
- To arrange your shells: Pour 1 cup of your favorite spaghetti sauce on the bottom of your 13×9 pan. Add 1 Tablespoon of water and mix to thin our your sauce. Stuff each jumbo shell with roughly 1 heaping Tablespoon of your ricotta cheese mixture and place open side up in your pan.
- Cover shells with remaining 1 cup of your spaghetti sauce and top with Mozzarella cheese.
- Cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Serve hot with your favorite side salad and bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- Allow your shells to sit a couple minutes before serving to allow the shells to suck up some of the liquid that came out during its cook time. This will allow for much less messy shells on your plate!
xx Rachel
January Meal Ideas
Easy Pumpkin Roll
Delicious Turkey Sheet Pan Nachos
Meal Ideas for August
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