Description
This Easy Christmas Stuffed Shells Recipe is a delicious and festive dish perfect for the holiday season. Jumbo pasta shells are stuffed with a flavorful mixture of ricotta cheese, spinach, and seasonings, then baked in marinara sauce until bubbly and golden.
Ingredients
Scale
- 18 to 20 jumbo pasta shells
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 5 ounces fresh spinach
- 2 cups ricotta cheese, 16 ounces
- ¼ cup grated pecorino cheese, plus more for sprinkling
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for the pasta water
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups Marinara Sauce*, plus more for serving
- Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Cook Pasta Shells: Cook jumbo pasta shells according to package instructions. Drain and drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Prepare Filling: In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, pecorino cheese, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir in chopped spinach.
- Stuff Shells: Fill each cooked pasta shell with the ricotta-spinach mixture and place in a baking dish.
- Bake: Pour marinara sauce over the stuffed shells, sprinkle with additional pecorino cheese, and bake in a preheated oven until heated through and bubbly.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can customize the filling by adding cooked ground meat or different cheeses.
- Feel free to top the stuffed shells with mozzarella cheese for an extra cheesy finish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 shell
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg