These stuffed shells are saucy, cheesy comfort food at its best! They're filled with a creamy, flavorful mix of fresh spinach, lemon zest, and ricotta cheese.
These stuffed shells are saucy, cheesy comfort food at its best. I love the contrast of the chewy pasta with the creamy ricotta filling, and marinara – store-bought or homemade – is the perfect tangy accent for both. After I eat one helping, I always find myself back in the kitchen, unable to resist the allure of seconds. These stuffed shells are just that good!
This stuffed shells recipe is easy to make (and make ahead!), and it’s great for serving a group. If you’re hosting a dinner party or get-together this season, it would be a fantastic dish to add to the menu. Comforting and classic, it’s guaranteed to be a hit.
Stuffed Shells Recipe Ingredients
To make this stuffed shells recipe, you’ll need 10-ish basic ingredients. I like to think of them in three parts:
- The shells – You’ll need jumbo pasta shells to make this recipe.
- Tomato sauce – Use your favorite store-bought brand (I like Rao’s), or make homemade marinara sauce instead. Both are great!
- And the ricotta filling – It’s a mix of ricotta cheese and steamed, chopped fresh spinach. I also stir in dried oregano, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, garlic, and grated pecorino cheese for depth of flavor.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Stuffed Shells
Stuffed shells are a fairly impressive dish – they’re flavorful, comforting, and ideal for entertaining – but they’re still really simple to make! Here’s how this recipe goes:
First thing’s first! Before you start mixing up the filling, you’ll need to steam the spinach. When it’s tender and vibrant green, remove it from the heat, place it in a strainer, and squeeze out the excess moisture. Roughly chop it. Then, you can stir it together with the ricotta, pecorino, garlic, lemon zest, oregano, and red pepper flakes to make the filling.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta. It should be just shy of al dente when you drain it. It’ll finish cooking in the oven.
Then, stuff the shells. The fun part! (And the messy part. 🙂 ) Use a small spoon to fill each shell with the cheese mixture. Divided evenly, the filling should be enough for 18-20 shells.
Next, bake. Spread 2 cups of marinara sauce at the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Nestle in the shells, cover the dish with foil, and bake for 20 minutes at 425°F.
Alternatively, if you want to make this recipe ahead of time, you can place the stuffed shells in the baking dish, cover it with foil, and place it in the fridge for up to 4 hours. When you’re ready to eat, just bake the shells and serve. For freezing instructions, see the notes in the recipe.
So creamy!
Stuffed Shells Serving Suggestions
Before serving, garnish the stuffed shells with more pecorino (or Parmesan) cheese and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Serve them with extra marinara on the side. I like to spoon it over the shells as I eat so that I can get plenty of sauce in every bite.
Round out the meal with a green salad and good bread. I often serve these stuffed shells with my Homemade Caesar Salad, but my Arugula Salad, Beet Salad, or Simple Green Salad would also pair well with this recipe. And when it comes to bread, you really can’t go wrong! Stick with a crusty loaf, or make rosemary focaccia, garlic knots, or dinner rolls.
Enjoy!
More Favorite Pasta Recipes
If you love this stuffed shells recipe, try one of these comforting pastas next:
- Easy Baked Ziti
- Best Vegetarian Lasagna
- Fettuccine Alfredo
- Butternut Squash Ravioli
- Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe
- Homemade Mac and Cheese
- Tortellini Soup
- Or any of these 25 Easy Pasta Recipes!
Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 18 to 20 jumbo pasta shells
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 5 ounces spinach
- 2 cups (16 ounces) ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese, more for sprinkling
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, more for the pasta water
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups Marinara Sauce*, plus more for serving
- chopped parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Place the spinach in a steamer basket and set over a pot with 1-inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and let steam for 1 minute, until the spinach is wilted. Transfer to a strainer and squeeze out the excess water and chop the spinach.
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta shells for 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain and drizzle with a little olive oil to keep them from sticking together.
- In a medium bowl, combine the spinach with the ricotta, pecorino, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
- Spread the marinara in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Stuff each shell with the filling and place in the dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with more marinara on the side.
Looks so good and can’t wait to try! You mention making ahead and leaving in fridge only 4 hours – is there a reason you wouldn’t recommend making day before and just putting in fridge overnight? I’d prefer that over freezing but not sure if there’s a reason it’s not suggested!
Hi Nicole, The make-ahead options listed (freezing the shells and making them 4 hours ahead) are the ones we tested. I think assembling the shells a day ahead would also work great, we just haven’t tested it, so we didn’t suggest it in the post. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
This recipe was very good and very easy to make. Thank you!
Hi Emily, so glad you loved it!
Really good! I’ve made it twice. The lemon zest is a nice touch. Proportions were perfect.
Hi Kayla, So glad you love the recipe!
After making this recipe a couple of times, I finally added an egg to the cheese mixture and it was SO much better. If you follow the recipe, the cheese is too runny.
oh that’s interesting, I’ve never had that result, can you tell me what brand of ricotta you use?
Whole Milk Galbani Ricotta
Interesting! Different ricottas can really vary in consistency. We love this recipe with 365 ricotta and Bel Gioioso.
Amazing!! I expected it to be good, but not “melt in your mouth, no leftovers, wishing I made a double batch” good. I made 26 shells and there was EXACTLY the right amount of filling for it. I had to use a rubber spatula to scrape, but it was perfect. I made the filling on Monday, stuffed/assembled on Tuesday, and baked it last night. I undercooked the shells by a min so they didn’t get too soggy sitting in the sauce overnight. It was perfect. Will absolutely be making again!
Hi Alyssa, I’m so glad you loved it so much! Thank you for sharing!
This recipe opened up my eyes and tummy to the magical powers of lemon zest!!! So many times I’ve skipped zest in recipes for some reason I had some sort of zest phobia thinking it would overpower the other flavors or be extremely bitter but I followed this recipe exactly and now I am obsessed!!! It’s my sweet not so secret ingredient haha thanks for all the wonderful recipes and I do apologize for the dramatics 😀
How far in advance can I make these? I have a dinner starting at 6:30 but work until 5:30. Do I have any options? Thanks!!
Hi Nicole, these notes are up in the post, there are some freezing instructions in the recipe notes too:
Alternatively, if you want to make this recipe ahead of time, you can place the stuffed shells in the baking dish, cover it with foil, and place it in the fridge for up to 4 hours. When you’re ready to eat, just bake the shells and serve. For freezing instructions, see the notes in the recipe.
This recipe is incredible! The cheese mixture with lemon zest really adds a depth of flavor that isn’t normally found in this dish.
I’m so glad you loved it! I’m a big fan of the bright flavor from the lemon zest!
I love your version! This gave me fond memories of when my mom used to make stuffed jumbo shells. I like the lemon zest which gave it a kick. My husband loved them so much thank you!!
I’m so glad you both loved them!
That was amazing. The filling was so creamy, and the lemon zest gave it a fresh note .My daughter said, it is delicious but she didn’t need the tomato sauce. Can I just make them without the sauce or will the pasta get dry or burnt?
Hi Sikle, I’m so glad you loved them. Yes, without a sauce, I think the pasta would be too dry.
Luv!Luv!
Absolutely delicious. Can these be frozen after baking?
Thanks
These were incredible and I can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow! Used Rao’s homemade because it’s the best! These are definitely going into the rotation
I’m so glad you loved them!
Made this last night and even my picky toddler loved it. Glad I put the lemon zest in because I was going to skip it – really brought the flavors together. Delicious, flavorful meal.
Hi Angela, I’m so glad you loved it and the lemon zest!
The perfect comfort food. Something about those cute shells too, makes it all worth the effort!
The stuffed shells were delicious and fresh tasting.
I’m retired so I make these and freeze for when my family comes over.
A delicious recipe for a weeknight meal. I even had my 4 year old help me fill the shells. I particularly enjoyed the lemon zest in the filling- it really came through.
I was curious about a vegan version?
I have used Miyokos mozzarella, but would love some tips. Thank you
Hi Susan, I would make the vegan ricotta filling that’s in this lasagna recipe and use it in place of the ricotta filling (no mozzarella): https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegetarian-lasagna/
Hope that helps!
Is anyone else having trouble finding these jumbo pasta shells in their local supermarkets?
Yes, had to go to 3 stores!
Yes! Supply chain??
Yes so I used Conchiglioni shells
love these always! And with lemon zest too, ha, and something to look forward to on my carb allowed Saturdays, thank you