Spinach, Beef & Ricotta Stuffed Shells
- Jul 27
- 3 min read
Our Story
Gab pulled these out of the oven bubbling and golden, and the whole house smelled like an Italian grandmother had moved in. Jumbo shells stuffed with a beefy, garlicky spinach and ricotta filling, tucked into marinara, and buried under Parmesan and mozzarella. It is the kind of dinner that makes a random weeknight feel like Sunday. If you loved our chicken parm vodka bake, this is that same cozy Italian comfort in shell form. We served it with garlic bread and a crisp salad, and Gab's peach, prosciutto and mozzarella salad on the side would be perfect while peaches are still in season.
Quick Stats
Makes: 20-24 stuffed shells (serves 5-6)
Prep: 25 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 1 hr
Difficulty: 2 / 5
Cost: $$
Ingredients
1 box jumbo pasta shells
1 lb ground beef
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 jar marinara sauce
Fresh basil, for topping
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the jumbo shells until just al dente. Drain and set aside to cool enough to handle.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning, and cook until browned. Add the minced garlic and chopped spinach and cook another 2-3 minutes until the spinach wilts. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, Parmesan, about 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, and the beef and spinach mixture. Stir until evenly combined.
Spread a generous layer of marinara across the bottom of a baking dish. Spoon the filling into each shell and arrange the stuffed shells on top of the sauce. Spoon a little extra marinara over the shells, then sprinkle generously with Parmesan and the remaining mozzarella.
Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Broil 1-2 minutes at the end for extra golden cheese. Top with fresh basil and extra Parmesan before serving.
Gab's tip: boil a few extra shells, some always tear, and let the beef cool slightly before stirring it into the ricotta so the egg does not scramble.
Brands We Used and Love
Zia Pia imported Italian marinara
La Fabbrica della Pasta jumbo shells from Naples
Organic Italian seasoning
Kosterina extra virgin olive oil
Le Creuset ceramic baking dish (Appolia makes a great budget version)
Microplane for the fresh Parmesan on top
Browse everything in our cooking shop: https://shopmy.us/ajdillon/cooking
The Dillon Scorecard
AJ: 5 / 5
Gab: 5 / 5
Trey: 5 / 5
What We'd Change Next Time
Half Italian sausage, half ground beef would be an easy flavor upgrade next time. This is also a perfect make-ahead dinner: assemble the whole dish, cover, and refrigerate up to a day before baking (add about 10 minutes covered), or freeze it unbaked for a night when nobody feels like cooking. Garlic bread and a simple Caesar or arugula salad make it a full dinner.
FAQ
Can I make it ahead or freeze it? Yes. Assemble up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate, then bake with about 10 extra covered minutes. Or freeze the assembled, unbaked dish tightly wrapped for up to 2 months and bake from frozen at 375, covered, adding 25-30 minutes.
Can I swap the beef or spinach? Ground turkey or Italian sausage both work in place of the beef. Frozen spinach works too, just thaw it and squeeze it very dry first so the filling does not get watery.
Estimated Nutrition
Per serving (1 of 6, about 4 shells): roughly 540 calories, 34g protein, 45g carbohydrate, 25g fat. Honest estimates, not lab numbers.
Did You Make It?
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