Name: Ricotta and Spinach Filled Pasta Shells
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 1 onion; 3 garlic cloves; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 10 fresh field tomatoes (or 3 cups of tomato puree); 10 fresh basil leaves; 1/2 teaspoon dehydrated oregano; Salt and pepper to taste; 3 garlic cloves; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1-500 gram package of frozen spinach; 1-454 gram package of ricotta cheese; 3 egg yolks; Salt and pepper to taste; 20 jumbo shells (cooked al-dente as per direction); 2 cups of grated mozzarella cheese

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

My husband loves his pasta. Whenever I ask him what he thinks we should have for dinner, his response more often than not is pasta. I am always looking for different ways of making pasta. These ricotta and spinach filled pasta shells are one of his favourite pasta dishes.

Ingredients for Ricotta and Spinach Filled Pasta Shells

Just a handful of ingredients, but a plateful of flavour. That’s how I see these pasta shells.

The Ingredients List for this Vegetarian Meal:

Tomato sauce
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
10 fresh field tomatoes (or 3 cups of tomato puree)
10 fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dehydrated oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Ricotta and spinach filling
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-500 gram package of frozen spinach
1-454 gram package of ricotta cheese
3 egg yolks
Salt and pepper to taste
Other ingredients
20 jumbo shells (cooked al-dente as per direction)
2 cups of grated mozzarella cheese

More Mediterranean Recipes you will Like:

Mediterranean breakfast toast with whole poached eggs — Mediterranean Breakfast Toast

Crunchy walnut and pistachio baklava — Mediterranean Breakfast Toast

The Tomato Sauce for this Mediterranean Dinner

I like making my own tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes, but that’s not necessary for this dish. If you want to make it quick, you can always use a store-bought pasta sauce and that will work just as well in this recipe.

To make the tomato sauce,

chop 1 onion and 3 garlic cloves.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and cook the onions and garlic till softened – about 3-4 mins.

Cooked onion and garlic for pasta shells

If using fresh tomatoes, blend them into a puree. For mine,

chop the tomato into quarters leaving the seeds, etc. in, and just blend everything.
Add the puree to the pan with the onions and cook for about 20 mins, stirring occasionally. The idea is to dry the liquid from the tomatoes and cook them at the same time.
While the tomatoes are cooking, add about 10 or so whole fresh basil leaves.
Add salt and pepper to taste and 1/2 teaspoon of dehydrated oregano to the pan as well.

Making the Ricotta and Spinach Filling

Let’s get the filling ready.

In a mixing bowl, add 1-454 gram package of ricotta cheese, 3 egg yolks, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Ricotta, egg yolks, salt and pepper for pasta shells

The Spinach

Next comes the spinach that we add to the filling.

In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add 3 chopped garlic cloves to it.
I use a 500-gram package of frozen spinach (thawed). Add the spinach to the pan with the garlic and cook for about 3 or so mins.
Just to ensure that the spinach breaks up and mixes well with the spinach. Using frozen spinach also means that there will be no liquid as the spinach cooks.

Once the spinach has cooled down completely, add the spinach to the bowl with the ricotta and mix everything so that the spinach and ricotta are well combined.

Assembling the Italian Pasta Shells

The fun part is filling the shells.

Boil 20 jumbo pasta shells as per the directions. Keep them al-dente because they will continue to cook when we bake them. I usually boil some extra because they get soft as they cook and sometimes break.

Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with oil.
Pour half the tomato sauce into the baking dish. Take one of the shells and using a spoon, fill it with the ricotta and spinach mix.
Make sure that you open the shell as you start to fill it and then let it close on its own.
Place the shell on top of the tomato sauce. Repeat filling all the shells and keep placing them in the tomato sauce.

Baking the Pasta Shells

Once you are done filling the shells and all the ricotta spinach mix is gone, pour the remaining half of the tomato sauce on top of the filled shells.
Generously sprinkle the shells with 2 cups of grated mozzarella cheese making sure to cover all of the shells well.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake for about 20 mins or until you see the tomato sauce bubbling from the corners.
If by then the cheese is not browned, broil the pasta shells for a further 5 mins. Keep an eye on the shells because you don’t want the cheese to burn.

Baked ricotta and spinach filled pasta shells

Serving Suggestions:

Once you remove the baking dish from the oven, let it rest for about 5 mins then serve :

With a side of Raw Zucchini Salad with Bocconcini
And with a slice of my fresh home made crusty Italian bread.

Tried and Liked the Recipe?

Scroll to the bottom of the page, and past the recipe to find the comment form. Please fill out details of what you liked and what you would like to see improved. Comments are loved! I look forward to hearing how much you enjoyed the recipe!

Stay Connected

Don’t forget to sign up for the free newsletter and be the first to learn about all my new recipes. And, don’t forget to follow me on my social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter.