Easy Christmas Stuffed Shells Recipe
This Easy Christmas Stuffed Shells recipe features jumbo pasta shells filled with a creamy spinach and ricotta cheese mixture, baked to perfection in a savory marinara sauce. Perfect for festive dinners, this dish combines hearty flavors with vibrant spinach, melted cheeses, and a hint of spice for a comforting and elegant meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 18 to 20 jumbo pasta shells
- Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
- Salt (for pasta water)
Filling
- 5 ounces fresh spinach
- 2 cups ricotta cheese (16 ounces)
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese (and extra for sprinkling)
- 2 grated garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
For Baking
- 2 cups marinara sauce (plus extra for serving)
- Chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven and Prepare Spinach: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Place the spinach in a steamer basket over a pot with 1 inch of simmering water, cover, and steam for 1 minute until wilted. Transfer to a strainer, squeeze out excess water, and chop finely.
- Cook the Pasta Shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook for about 10 minutes until al dente. Drain, then drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Prepare the Filling: In a medium bowl, combine the chopped spinach, ricotta cheese, grated pecorino, grated garlic, dried oregano, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
- Assemble the Dish: Spread marinara sauce evenly in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Stuff each cooked shell with the spinach and cheese filling and arrange them in the baking dish over the sauce.
- Bake and Serve: Cover the dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with extra pecorino and chopped parsley if desired, and serve hot with extra marinara sauce on the side.
Notes
- Make sure to squeeze out as much water from the spinach as possible to avoid a watery filling.
- Use fresh spinach for best texture and flavor, but frozen spinach can be used if thoroughly drained and squeezed.
- The lemon zest adds a bright, fresh flavor that balances the richness of the cheese.
- To save time, pasta shells can be cooked a day ahead and refrigerated, just drizzle with olive oil and cover to prevent sticking.
- For a vegetarian option, ensure the marinara sauce and cheeses do not contain animal-derived rennet.
Keywords: stuffed shells, Christmas pasta, baked pasta shells, spinach ricotta shells, Italian Christmas recipe, holiday dinner pasta
