Creamed spinach stuffed shells

Super cheesy spinach stuffed shells baked in tomato sauce is a delicious and easy vegetarian dinner recipe everyone will love.

Ingredients

Full recipe with amounts can be found in the recipe card below. 

• Spinach. I used frozen and thawed spinach but you could use fresh spinach too. Add to a hot pan and allow to wilt before squeezing out any excess moisture.
• Cream cheese. 
• Mozzarella. 
• Parmesan cheese. 
• Nutmeg. 
• Chilli flakes. 
• Pasta shells. 
• Salt and pepper. 
• Fresh basil.
• Roasted tomato sauce. I use the recipe linked but you can use any jarred sauce or recipe you like.

How to make stuffed shells

1. Make the filling: Squeeze any excess moisture out of the spinach then place in a mixing bowl. Add the cream cheese, grated mozzarella and Parmesan. Add all the seasonings and mix well. Cook the pasta shells in a large pot of salted, boiling water for 7 minutes then drain and allow to cool to room temperature. Pour the tomato sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish.
2. Stuff the shells: Using a teaspoon, stuff the creamed spinach mixture into the pasta shells. Place the shells into the casserole dish.
3. Bake: Top the shells with mozzarella then cover with foil and place in a preheated oven. Allow to bake for 20 minutes then remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the pasta shells are cooked and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven, scatter over fresh basil and serve.

Can I make this ahead?

The shells can be stuffed and placed into the sauce then covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Bake the shells directly from frozen for 45-60 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Baked shells can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheated in a hot oven before serving.

What to serve with stuffed shells

1. Easy green salad with lemon Parmesan dressing
2. Cheesy pull apart garlic bread
3. Easy focaccia bread

Baked pasta recipes

1. Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Pasta Bake
2. Bolognese pasta bake
3. Creamy spinach artichoke pasta bake