ricotta stuffed shells

Easy Crock Pot Turkey Stuffed Shells with Spinach are the perfect make-ahead dinner for the family! Stuff each dry shell with a turkey spinach ricotta mixture then smother with sauce and cheese! The ultimate comfort food bite! 

Crock Pot Turkey Stuffed Shells with Spinach

jumbo shells

avocado oil

red onion

garlic

turkey

ricotta cheese

dry oregano

dry basil

dry parsley

garlic powder

salt and pepper

spinach

mozzarella cheese

parsley

Sauté Turkey &amp; Spinach

Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add avocado oil and diced onions. Cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic to the pan and saute for 30 seconds. Next add in the ground turkey. Cook turkey until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Add in the fresh spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 1-2 minutes.

Make Filling

In a large bowl add ricotta cheese, turkey spinach mixture, oregano, basil, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine everything.

Stuff Shells

Stuff each jumbo shell with spinach turkey ricotta mixture.

Layer Crock Pot with Prepared Shells

Add 3 cups of marinara sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker. Place 14 stuffed shells on top of the sauce. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce over shells. Top with remaining stuffed shells and finish with the rest of the sauce.

Cook in Crock Pot

Cover slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6 until shells are cooked and tender.

Top with Mozzarella

When shells are cooked sprinkle mozzarella cheese over shells. Wait 5 minutes until cheese is melted. Garnish with parsley. Serve!

I cannot wait to find out what you are having! So exciting! This dinner looks amazing too!!

Made this super easy dinner tonight!  We loved it!   I will be making this again 😊 
Thank you for sharing!

Stuffed Shells filled with ricotta, parmesan, and melty mozzarella cheese. Stuffed Pasta Shells always disappear fast and reheat well.

Stuffed Shells Recipe

pasta shells (cooked to package instructions)

onion

salt (divided)

tsp black pepper (divided)

oregano

marinara sauce

parmesan cheese

mozzarella cheese (divided)

parsley (plus more to garnish)

Cook Pasta: Preheat oven to 375˚F. Cook shells in salted water according to pacakge instructions (stirring several times to keep the pasta from sticking to the pot), then drain and fill pot with cold water to stop the cooking process and keep shells from sticking to each other.

Make Sauce: In a deep pan over medium-high heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and sauté chopped onion until softened and golden (3-5 min). Add minced garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1/4 tsp oregano. Sauté another 1 minute stirring constantly until garlic is fragrant. Add 3 cups marinara and bring to a uniform boil then simmer for 2 minutes and pour the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.

Cheese Filling: In a large bowl, add 15 oz ricotta cheese, 2 cups mozzarella, 1/3 cup parmesan, 1 egg, 1/4 cup parsley, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir until well combined.

Stuff Shells: Use about 1/2 ice cream scoop or just until filled (do not overstuff). Place them in the casserole over the marinara sauce in a single layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese over the top.

Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. The sauce should be bubbling at the edges. Remove foil and broil for 2-4 minutes to lightly brown the cheese. Remove from the oven and garnish with parsley to serve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDMCZ6BA_C0

Ricotta cheese Stuffed Shells are the perfect dinner and it's a family favorite. See how easy it is to make stuffed pasta shells. 
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ RECIPE BELOW  ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

STUFFED PASTA SHELLS INGREDIENTS:
►20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked to package instructions
►1/2 medium onion, chopped
►3 garlic cloves, minced
►1 tsp salt, divided
►1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
►1/4 tsp dried oregano
►3 cups marinara sauce
►15 oz ricotta cheese
►1 large egg
►1/3 cup parmesan cheese
►3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (8 oz by weight)
►1/4 cup parsley, plus more to garnish

🖨 PRINT RECIPE HERE: https://natashaskitchen.com/stuffed-shells-recipe/
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⏱️TIMESTAMPS⏱️
0:00 Intro
0:41 How to cook pasta shells
1:31 How to make tomato sauce
3:08 How to make the cheese filling
4:04 How to stuff shells
4:36 How to bake pasta shells
5:42 Taste test

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Extra Cheesy STUFFED SHELLS RECIPE

These spinach and ricotta stuffed shells are such a comforting, flavorful dinner! To get ahead, you can stuff the shells and place them in the baking dish with the marinara up to 4 hours in advance. Cover with foil and store them in the fridge until you&#039;re ready to serve. Then, just bake and eat!

Stuffed Shells

pasta shells

Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)

(16 ounces) ricotta cheese

pecorino cheese (more

lemon zest

red pepper flakes

sea salt (more

black pepper

Marinara Sauce* (plus more for serving)

parsley (for serving)

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.

Ricotta Stuffed Shells Recipe - Rich and cheesy EASY stuffed shells. A comforting dish you&#x27;ll serve again and again!

Ricotta Stuffed Shells Recipe

pasta

marinara, (or 24-ounce jar)

Italian parsley

rosemary

salt

pepper

nutmeg

red pepper

Lightly oil or spray a 9 X 13 inch baking pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Partially cook the pasta shells in water, 4-6 minutes. Strain the shells and lay in the pan. (See no-boil instructions in notes.)

Mix the ricotta, parmesan, egg, parsley, rosemary, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and crushed red pepper together in a medium bowl. Fill each shell with 1-2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture.

Spoon the sauce on and around the shells. Top with mozzarella cheese. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake until bubbly and golden, about 25 minutes. If you want the cheesy top golden, take the foil off the last 3-5 minutes.

It doesn&#039;t get much better than cheesy pasta, and these Crockpot stuffed shells are so effortless to make! Jumbo shells are filled with cheese and spinach before being slow cooked to perfection.

Crockpot Stuffed Shells Recipe

baby spinach (steamed, drained, and squeezed dry)

mozzarella cheese (shredded & divided)

Parmesan cheese (grated, divided)

eggs (lightly beaten)

Italian seasoning

onion powder

pasta sauce

Combine

Combine ricotta cheese, spinach, ½ cup mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, and seasonings in a small bowl. Spoon or pipe mixture into raw pasta shells.

Layer

Place ½ cup sauce in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Line the bottom with stuffed shells and top with 1 cup of pasta sauce. Layer on the rest of the shells, then top with the rest of the sauce.

Cook

Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese, cover, and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low 5-6 hours. Remove lid, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan, serve garnished with parsley, if desired.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1629484744/tvg9pti3rcsfkozic3yr.mp4

It doesn’t get much better than cheesy pasta, and these Crockpot stuffed shells are so effortless to make! Jumbo shells are filled with cheese and spinach before being slow cooked to perfection.

Crockpot Stuffed Shells

This easy Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells recipe is down home Italian comfort food. Hearty and thick, this recipe combines creamy ricotta, melty cheeses, Spinach and Italian sausage for a family favorite Italian dinner!

Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage

Jumbo Pasta Shells (16 ounces)

oz Ricotta (about 4 cups)

oz Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Eggs

tsp Garlic Powder *see note

tsp Dried Oregano

Shredded Parmesan

45 oz Spaghetti sauce (large jar)

sausage

tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a skillet over medium heat, brown and crumble the sausage. Drain any excess fat and remove from heat.

Bring water to boil and add the shells.  Cook the shells until they are pliable for filling and no more. This means the shells should still feel hard, but they are bendable for stuffing.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, 8oz of mozzarella, 1/2 cup of parmesan, eggs, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper. Stir in the spinach.

Coat the bottom of a 9x13in pan with the 1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce. Spoon the cheese mixture into the shells and place shells open side up, close together in the dish. There will be more shells than will fit into this pan and you can either make a second smaller pan (5x8 is good) or freeze for future use. Sometimes the shells also break in the box so this is fine.

Add the rest of the spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle the sausage over the top of the shells. Then sprinkle with the remaining 4oz of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil, preferably tented so it doesn&#39;t stick to the cheese.  Bake for 25-40 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. The more packed/full the casserole dish, the longer it will take to bake. You know it&#39;s ready when the cheesy is melted and bubbly. Look for bubbles along the sides of the dish.

If you like a cheesy crust, you may broil it uncovered for 3-5 minutes (watch closely). Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/JhbBDFFY.mp4

Italian Stuffed Shells

Jumbo stuffed shells filled with ground sweet Italian sausage, ricotta and parmesan cheese, fresh basil, garlic, and egg. Baked topped with marinara and melted mozzarella cheese.

Sausage Stuffed Shells Recipe

20-22 jumbo shells (16-ounce box)

marinara

6-7 basil leaves (chopped,

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta shells 1 minute before al dente, strain, and rinse with cool water to prevent overcooking.

Meanwhile, in a cast-iron skillet, cook sausage until fully cooked through and browned. About 5-7 minutes. Use the tip of a spatula to break the sausage into the smallest chunks possible as it cooks. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove the pan from the heat.

Transfer the sausage to a medium bowl with ricotta, basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, and egg. Stir until fully incorporated and creamy. Place 1 cup of marinara in the bottom of the now-empty skillet.

Cut a 1-inch hole in a pastry bag or corner of a large Ziploc bag. Transfer the ricotta filling to the bag and fill each shell to the top with ricotta. You can alternatively fill shells with a spoon.

Arrange shells in the skillet as tightly as possible. You can usually fit 20-22 shells in a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Top each shell with a heaping tablespoon of marinara. Layer the entire dish with about 1 cup of shredded mozzarella (more is OK too).

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is fully melted and golden. Finish with a quick broil to give the cheese a little sear if desired. Let cool for 5 minutes, top with extra chopped basil, and serve immediately.

Pretty easy and tasty! Easiest way to stuff the shells is to use my hands. Grab a golf ball suze of filling and place inside the shell. Messy but easy

Family of 6 loves this meal. I use a cookie scooper to fill.

These are delicious! Nice change from the ricotta filling. These were a big hit! I made them in the morning, refrigerated them all day and cooked them at night.

These are delicious! Nice change from the ricotta filling. These were a big hit!

This was amazing.   The sauce we used was Bertolli d'Italia Marinara Sauce.   We did everything the same but the pan was an All-Clad frying non-stick pan, it's very thick and heavy.  Worked great.  

I was supposed to make this dish yesterday but when your Walmart order goes to a store 2.5 hours away well, you have to wait until the next day.  And the next day is the day my daughter (teen) cooks a meal once a week.  She chose to make your dish.   With a little help from me, she did an awesome job. 

I totally recommend this dish.

Made this dish last night and it was fantastic!  I added a small amount of chopped spinach to the cheese mixture and think that went well.  Had the butcher grind up some pork butt with some fennel seasoning for the meat for the mixture.  Put it together in a 9 x 13 glass dish so it did require extra baking time.
Will definitely make this again... Love it!

Filling is really good. But you should NOT cook tomato sauce dishes in cast iron, it will ruin the seasoned coating on your frying pan

This recipe was a hit! So yummy!😋 
I used 1/2 sausage and 1/2 ground beef.  Increase the cook time. 
I cooked it for an hour and 15 and ended up turning the heat up to 400 the last 15 min. Then put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes.
I used a 9x13 glass dish instead of cast iron, maybe that was why.

Creamy Cajun Stuffed Shells combine tender jumbo pasta shells filled with a flavorful mixture of shredded chicken, smoked andouille sausage, ricotta, mozzarella, and fresh parsley, all baked in a rich and creamy Cajun-spiced tomato Parmesan sauce. This hearty Italian-American fusion dish delivers a perfect balance of creamy textures and smoky, spicy flavors ideal for a comforting dinner.

Creamy Cajun Stuffed Pasta Shells Recipe

jumbo pasta shells

chicken breasts

Kosher salt,

black pepper,

olive oil

eggs

mozzarella

parsley,

garlic, grated

tomato paste

chicken broth

heavy cream

Parmesan cheese

Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Cook Pasta Shells

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the jumbo pasta shells. Cook according to package instructions until al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Drain and set aside.

Prepare Chicken

Season the chicken breasts on both sides with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook undisturbed for about 8 minutes until a crust forms. Flip and cook for another 8 minutes until cooked through. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes, then shred using two forks.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the shredded chicken and chopped andouille sausage, tossing everything together until well combined.

Prepare Sauce

In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add grated garlic and tomato paste, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the chicken broth and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning. Heat until warmed through, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer, whisking constantly while gradually streaming in the Parmesan cheese. Cook until the sauce thickens and reduces by about one-third, roughly 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter until melted. Slowly add the flour, whisking to prevent lumps, and simmer for an additional minute until the sauce takes on a light reddish hue and becomes creamy.

Assemble Dish

Spread a layer of the sauce on the bottom of a 13&#8243; x 9&#8243; baking dish. Fill each pasta shell with a heaping 1 to 2 tablespoons of the ricotta and meat filling. Arrange the stuffed shells upright and side by side in the baking dish on top of the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the shells.

Bake and Serve

Bake the dish in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the shells are heated through. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Garnish with additional chopped fresh parsley for a fresh finish.

Classic spinach-ricotta stuffed shells with marinara and mozzarella. Exact draining, stuffing &amp; freezer tips for perfect, non-watery shells.

Stuffed Shells with Spinach

vegetable oil

baby spinach* (, leaves only)

ricotta cheese (,

red peppers (, drained)

parmesan cheese (, finely shredded)

eggs (, lightly beaten)

fine sea salt

jumbo shells (, cooked al dente and drained)

mozzarella cheese (, shredded)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a medium skillet, heat the 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the 12 ounces fresh baby spinach* to the skillet and toss with tongs until fully wilted.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the drained 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup roasted red peppers, cooked spinach, freshly grated 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Mix well.

Stuff the mixture into al dente cooked 20 jumbo shells, placing snuggly into a baking dish.

Top with the 2 cups marinara sauce and shredded 1 cup mozzarella cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until the shells are fully heated.

Remove and top with minced parsley and additional Parmesan cheese.

If you’ve tried this recipe, please come back and let us know how you liked it in the comments or star ratings.

This recipe is wonderful! The ricotta stuffing is so flavorful and delicious. Thanks for the great recipe!

Love these cheese packed vegetarian shells! Definitely bookmarking the recipe :)

These stuffed shells are so tasty, and so easy to make, too. The whole family just loves them!
PRO-TIP: Reheat leftover shells in the morning in an oiled cast iron skillet (sort of like you would a potsticker) and top with a fried egg! SO good!

Stuffed shells is a meal that always goes down a treat in my house. I bet my kids would love this.

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The most viewed ricotta stuffed shells recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine