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    Home » Make Ahead Meals

    Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Mushrooms

    Published on Feb 10, 2020 · Modified on Dec 22, 2020 by Kathryn - Leave a comment · 12 Comments

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    These Italian-style Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Mushrooms are packed with cheese and vegetables for the most delicious vegetarian weeknight dinner.

    It's been awhile since I've made stuffed shells. My mom used to make them every now and then when we were little, and I'm pretty sure I refused to eat them because of the ricotta cheese (how wrong I was about the deliciousness of ricotta!). Stuffed shells remain the ultimate comfort food for me -- full of cheesy, vegetable goodness all wrapped in my favorite -- pasta. Now that I'm sick and sniffly on the couch, I could really use some of this for dinner tonight.

    stuffed shells in baking pan ready to be baked.

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    Most recently, I made these shells for the neighborhood ladies during a surprise, impromptu baby shower/dinner for our next door neighbor who's expecting their 4th child any day now. Side note: You should have seen the 5 of us huddled in our living room in the semi-dark trying to figure out how to surprise Laura but not surprise-her-into-labor as she was coming over ("Should we hide? Should we just whisper "surpriiiiiise!"?). It was hilarious.

    Easy Peasy Stuffed Shells

    Stuffed shells were the perfect dinner idea for the shower because they can be made in advance, are absolute comfort food on a cold night, don't take a lot of fuss, and can feed a crowd. Those are pretty much my requirements for most meals in the winter time (minus the feeding a crowd thing).

    stuffed shells with marinara and extra mozzarella on top.

    Ingredients for Stuffed Shells

    Here's what you'll need:

    • jumbo shells (they're not actually that big...I hate that they're called "jumbo")
    • mushrooms
    • spinach (I prefer fresh spinach but you can easily use frozen spinach, too. Just pat it as dry as possible with paper towels before adding it to your cheese mixture)
    • ricotta cheese
    • garlic
    • egg
    • fresh basil
    • Italian seasoning
    • mozzarella cheese
    • parmesan cheese
    • marinara sauce
    • olive oil, salt and pepper (do these even count?!)
    all ingredients used to make stuffed shells.

    Tips for this recipe

    • Add olive oil to your salted water so your shells don't stick together.
    • If you are really worried about aesthetics, you can put the cheese mixture in a big plastic bag, cut an inch end off the corner and pipe the mixture into the shells that way. The shells will often fold up as they cook, so this tip isn't always foolproof but it is a bit less messy than using a spoon.
    • Don't forget to coat the bottom of the pan with marinara sauce. This will prevent the shells from sticking to the bottom and drying out.
    • Add about 3 Tablespoons of olive oil to the pasta water to prevent the shells from sticking together.
    cooked mushrooms, spinach, and garlic in non-stick skillet with bowl of ricotta mixture waiting to be combined.

    Variations on stuffed shells with spinach and mushrooms

    Don't feel like you have to only make stuffed shells with spinach and mushrooms. You can use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. I've used kale, finely chopped asparagus, and even peas before.

    You could also make these stuffed shells with meat (I actually used to believe a meal wasn't a meal unless it involved meat). Ground beef is my favorite option, but you could also use sausage or even chicken.

    stuffed shells with spinach and mushrooms in baking pan with marinara spread on top.

    Make this dinner in advance

    You can easily make this dinner in advance. Just do everything except the actual baking -- so cook the vegetables, stuff the mixture in the shells, pour the sauce and cheese on top, and then cover with aluminum foil and stick in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake. The shells will keep about 2 days in the fridge before you should bake them.

    stuffed shells stacked next to each other in a large baking pan.

    Sides for the Stuffed Shells

    We usually have a very small side salad with stuffed shells. This caesar salad would be delightful. Don't forget the garlic bread, too (more carbs...mmmmm!). This Italian Sausage and Spinach Soup would also be amazing.

    Here's to a hopefully short cold!

    xox,

    kathryn

    As always, if you make anything from the blog, be sure to let me know! I love hearing from you in the comments on this post below or find Worn Slap Out on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

    Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Mushrooms

    These Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Mushrooms are packed with cheese and vegetables for the most delicious vegetarian weeknight dinner.
    4.50 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 30 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
    • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
    • 5 oz package fresh spinach
    • 1 package of mushrooms
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 15 oz ricotta cheese
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
    • 3 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
    • 2 cups mozzarella, shredded and divided
    • 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
    • salt and pepper
    • 1 jar marinara sauce

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place about ⅓ cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13" baking pan and set aside.
    • Cook your pasta in a large pan of salted water.* Cook until al dente, about 10 minutes then run under cold water to stop the shells from cooking any more. Place shells on top of marinara sauce in baking pan.
    • Meanwhile, heat up non-stick skillet on medium with olive oil. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Fold spinach into mixture until just barely wilted. Take off heat.
    • In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, fresh basil, Italian seasoning, 1 ½ cups of mozzarella, and parmesan. Add spinach and mushroom mixture until everything is combined.
    • Stuff shells with mixture**. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm!

    Notes

    *Add olive oil to the water to prevent from sticking. 
    **If you're worried about being neat, place mixture into a plastic bag, cut an inch off the tip of the bag and pipe mixture into each of the shells. 
    Storage: These shells are great 3-4 days later.  Just keep them in the fridge in an airtight container. 
    Tried this recipe?Mention @wornslapout or tag #wornslapout!
    white plate with three stuffed shells next to a bed of spinach. cheese and marinara sauce in the background.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.50 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Megan

      February 10, 2020 at 10:24 pm

      oooh these look so yummy! I might have to use this recipe for our valentines dinner!

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        February 22, 2020 at 10:01 pm

        Hope you loved it!

        Reply
    2. Raina

      February 11, 2020 at 1:51 pm

      These look so delicious! Going to give the recipe a try!

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        February 22, 2020 at 10:01 pm

        Yay! It's the ultimate comfort food to me! Perfect this time of year.

        Reply
    3. Amanda

      February 11, 2020 at 1:59 pm

      My goodness that looks SO yummy and straight out of a magazine!

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        February 22, 2020 at 10:02 pm

        Thanks so much! It's really delicious, too (assuming you love lemons!)

        Reply
    4. Bella

      February 11, 2020 at 10:12 pm

      omg yumm these look so tasty!!! i totally need to make a gluten free vegan version!

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        February 22, 2020 at 10:03 pm

        Ooooh...I'll have to think about how to do that. I could easily make the shortbread crust vegan, but the lemon curd would be challenging without eggs. A new challenge!

        Reply
    5. Stella Harper

      February 12, 2020 at 8:53 pm

      5 stars
      Such a great way to enjoy pasta shells, it seems challenging to cook. Can't wait to try this one.

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        February 22, 2020 at 10:05 pm

        Definitely not challenging -- but it is a little cumbersome to stuff the shells. That's the hardest part! Hope you get to try it!

        Reply
    6. Nancy

      December 22, 2020 at 9:44 am

      Do you not cook the spinach before stuffing? Also, can I put it together and cook next day?

      Reply
      • Kathryn

        December 22, 2020 at 2:07 pm

        Ugh -- just fixed it. Thanks for catching. I fold in spinach at the very end just before turning the mushroom mixture off of the heat. I wait until it's just barely wilted then turn off the heat. And YES! These are so perfect to make in advance. I assemble all of it and stick in the refrigerator with some aluminum foil until the next day when I bake them!

        Reply

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    Welcome to Worn Slap Out, a Southern-inspired recipe corner for busy people on the go. As a mom of two littles who also loves food, I need meals on the table ASAP but I also want to eat well. Here, you'll find quick, easy, and reasonably healthy meals you can make in a flash. Other loves include Georgia football, cake of all kinds, and elastic waistbands.


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