Spinach and ricotta stuffed shell pasta in creamy tomato sauce
This delicious spinach and ricotta stuffed shell pasta is served in a creamy pink sauce for a healthy dinner the whole family will love.
Main ingredients:
 | Stuffed shell pasta – any type of large stuffed shell pasta. Also known as conchiglie pasta. |
 | Spinach – fresh or frozen spinach |
 | Ricotta – any type of full or low-fat ricotta |
 | Grated Parmesan cheese – I’m using parmesan, but you can use any type of grated hard cheese, such as cheddar, gruyere, emmental, etc. |
For the Pink sauce:
 | Heavy cream – any type of heavy cream or crême fraiche |
 | Tomato sauce – tomato coulis or any other type of tomato sauce such as marinara, etc. |
 | Garlic powder or flakes |
 | Basil – dried basil or fresh |
 | Oregano – dried oregano |
 | Thyme – dried thyme or fresh |
 | Pinch of salt and pepper |
When it comes to cooking, sometimes you want something more than spaghetti, while still staying in your comfort zone. This spinach and ricotta stuffed pasta is a great example this.
Made with a handful of ingredients that you almost certainly already have in your kitchen, except perhaps for the large shell conchiglie pasta.
Once you do have the large shell pasta, this sumptuous spinach and ricotta pasta recipe comes together in a pinch.
The ricotta and spinach filling comes together quite quickly. Using a small teaspoon, add it into the pasta and place in a large casserole dish. It may not seem perfect while you are assembling it, but once you are done, take a step back and you will find that it works marvellously.
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Spinach and ricotta stuffed shell pasta in a creamy tomato sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 200 g of stuffed shell pasta eg. conchiglie pasta
- 1 cup of spinach
- 1 cup ricotta
- 4 tablespoons of grated parmesan
- pinch of salt and pepper
Pink Pasta sauce
- 3/4 cup of crême fraiche or heavy cream
- 3/4 cup of tomato coulis or tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon of dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot on the stove, cook the stuffed shell pasta according to package instructions.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients for the pink sauce.
- Chop the spinach and in a sauce pan, lightly cook the spinach at medium heat. Let it cool, once finished.
- Once the pasta has finished cooking, drain the pasta and let it cool till it becomes comfortable to touch.
- Mix the cooked spinach with the ricotta cheese, and pinch of salt and pepper.
- Move the pink sauce to base of a large casserole dish.
- Using a small teaspoon, put the spinach and ricotta mix into each individual pasta shell and place in the casserole dish, on top of the sauce. Start on the outside arranging each stuffed pasta shell and head towards the center, with the stuffed pasta shells overlapping.
- Repeat for each pasta shell until the casserole dish is full.
- Preheat the oven at 375°F (190°C).
- Sprinkle the top layer with parmesan cheese, added liberally.
- Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese on top looks cooked.
- Serve while warm.
Nutrition
Please note: We are not certified nutritionists and these estimates written and produced for entertainment purposes only.
What to serve with it?
You can serve this ricotta stuffed shell pasta in pesto sauce with a salad like this apple salad with feta, or a starter like roasted tomatoes with garlic and parsley.
How to store it?
If you do want to prepare this spinach and ricotta stuffed shell pesto pasta in advance, let it cool completely and place it in an airtight glass container. I don’t suggest freezing it though, because the pasta gets soggy when it freezes.
