Description
These Vegetarian Stuffed Shells are a cheesy, freezer-friendly comfort dinner. Jumbo pasta shells are filled with a creamy ricotta, spinach, and mushroom filling, topped with marinara, then baked until golden and bubbly—perfect for busy weeknights and feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
20–24 jumbo pasta shells (about 8 oz)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
8 oz cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 oz fresh baby spinach, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp kosher salt (plus more for pasta water), or to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3 cups marinara sauce, divided (about 24 oz)
Optional: chopped basil or parsley for serving
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Cook jumbo shells 2 minutes less than package directions (al dente). Drain and rinse with cool water. Set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3–4 minutes until soft.
4. Add mushrooms and cook 6–8 minutes, stirring, until they release their liquid and most of it evaporates.
5. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in spinach and cook 1–2 minutes until wilted. Remove from heat.
6. Season the vegetable mixture with oregano, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Let cool 5 minutes.
7. In a large bowl, mix ricotta, egg, 3/4 cup mozzarella, and 1/3 cup Parmesan. Fold in the cooled vegetables.
8. Spread 1 cup marinara in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
9. Stuff each shell with about 1–2 tablespoons filling and arrange in the dish.
10. Spoon remaining marinara over the shells. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
11. Bake uncovered 25–30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Broil 1–2 minutes for extra browning (watch closely).
12. Rest 5–10 minutes before serving. Garnish with basil or parsley if desired.
Notes
Freezer (unbaked): Assemble in a freezer-safe dish, cover tightly with foil + plastic wrap. Freeze up to 3 months.
Bake from frozen: Remove plastic wrap, cover with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 60–75 minutes, then uncover and bake 10–15 minutes until bubbly.
Bake from chilled: If thawed overnight in the fridge, bake covered 20 minutes, then uncovered 15–20 minutes.
Make-ahead: Assemble up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate tightly covered.
Swap-ins: Kale for spinach, zucchini/bell pepper for mushrooms, part-skim mozzarella for lighter. Use vegetarian hard cheese if needed.