Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Conchiglie (Printable)
Jumbo pasta shells filled with ricotta, spinach, and Parmesan, baked in a rich tomato sauce.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 8.8 oz jumbo conchiglie (large pasta shells)
→ Filling
02 - 14 oz fresh spinach (or 8.8 oz frozen, thawed)
03 - 8.8 oz ricotta cheese
04 - 2.1 oz grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 1 large egg
06 - 1 garlic clove, minced
07 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
08 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Tomato Sauce
09 - 1 tbsp olive oil
10 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
11 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
12 - 24 fl oz passata (sieved tomatoes)
13 - 1 tsp dried oregano
14 - 1 tsp sugar
15 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Topping
16 - 2.1 oz grated mozzarella cheese
17 - 0.7 oz grated Parmesan cheese
18 - Fresh basil leaves, to serve (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F.
02 - Boil jumbo conchiglie in a large pot of salted water until just al dente, approximately 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and transfer to a towel to cool.
03 - Wilt fresh spinach in a dry skillet for 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool, then squeeze out excess moisture and chop finely.
04 - In a mixing bowl, blend chopped spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, minced garlic, ground nutmeg, salt, and black pepper until thoroughly combined.
05 - Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in passata, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
06 - Spread half of the tomato sauce evenly across the bottom of a large baking dish. Fill each pasta shell with the spinach-ricotta mixture using a spoon or piping bag, and arrange them in the dish.
07 - Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the arranged shells. Sprinkle mozzarella and additional Parmesan cheese on top.
08 - Cover the baking dish loosely with foil and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until the dish is bubbly and golden on top.
10 - Optionally garnish with fresh basil leaves before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It looks like restaurant-quality food but comes together in barely an hour, which is the kind of trick everyone needs in their back pocket.
- The filling is so creamy and the shells get just crispy enough at the edges while staying tender inside, creating this perfect textural contrast.
- You can prep everything ahead and bake it cold, or assemble it while talking with someone in the kitchen, making it endlessly flexible.
02 -
- Squeeze every drop of moisture from the spinach or your shells will release water into the sauce and become soggy instead of tender—this single step determines whether the dish turns out creamy or watery.
- Don't cook the pasta all the way through; those 2 minutes of undercooking are what keep shells from turning to mush in the oven, transforming texture from mushy to properly tender.
- Ricotta's texture matters more than brand—watery ricotta from a loose package will ruin the filling, so taste a tiny bit before committing your whole batch.
03 -
- If you don't have a piping bag, use two spoons to gently fill each shell—it takes a bit longer but gives you more control and less risk of tearing the pasta.
- Taste the sauce as you cook and adjust seasoning aggressively; tomato quality varies wildly depending on the brand, and a pinch more sugar or oregano might be exactly what yours needs.