Stuffed Pasta Shells with Ricotta, Spinach, and Mushrooms
Stuffed pasta shells with ricotta, spinach, and shiitake mushrooms are equally packed with veggies and classic, soul-warming comfort.
Servings: 6
Calories: 527kcal
Ingredients
- 1 12- ounce 340-gram box jumbo shells
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 12 ounces (340 grams) sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt divided
- 6 ounces (170 grams) baby spinach
- 1 pound (454 grams) fresh ricotta cheese
- ½ cup 2 ounces(57 grams) grated pecorino romano cheese, divided
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg
- 8 ounces (227 grams) low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
- 3 cups (710 ml) marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F with a rack in the center.
- Boil pasta shells in well-salted water according to package instructions. Drain and rinse well to remove some of the starch and prevent sticking.
- Meanwhile, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch nonstick skillet.
- Add the onion, garlic, and shiitakes along with ½ teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-10 minutes.
- Add spinach and cook until wilted.
- Crack the egg into a large mixing bowl and beat well with a fork.
- Add ricotta, half the pecorino, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and the pepper and mix well.
- Add spinach and mushroom mixture and mix well.
- In a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce.
- Fill each pasta shell with some of the vegetable-cheese mixture and place in a snug layer into the baking dish, continuing until all filling is used.
- Pour remaining tomato sauce over shells and top with mozzarella and remaining pecorino.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Pasta shells vary by brand. You may have a few left over, depending on how much filling you put into each one and how snugly you nestle them into the pan.
- Shiitake mushrooms work well in this recipe because they have tons of flavor and a low moisture content. I tend to buy them pre-sliced to save time. If you’re slicing them yourself, remove the stems, which are too tough to eat.
- About the cheeses: I like to use low-moisture mozzarella, but if you like, you can slice fresh mozzarella instead. For the ricotta, I use full-fat, but you can use part-skim if you like. You can use pecorino or parmesan. Be sure to use a vegetarian version if that’s important to you.
- You can prep this dish up to 24 hours in advance. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate. Bake just before serving. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time. Or freeze unbaked stuffed shells for up to three months. You can bake them directly from frozen. Check at 30 minutes, but you'll probably need to add 10 minutes or more to the baking time. If the top starts to brown more than you like, you can cover the pan with foil.
- Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
- Recipe variation — spinach: If you'd like, you can omit the shiitakes and double the spinach.
- Recipe variation — sausage: A pound of hot Italian sausage makes a tasty substitution for shiitakes. As your first step, cook the sausage on medium-high in the skillet until browned and cooked through, then drain and set aside. Pour off all but two tablespoons of the fat from the pan and sauté the onion and garlic in that instead of olive oil, then proceed with the recipe as written, omitting the shiitakes.
Nutrition
Calories: 527kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 33.4g | Fat: 22.1g | Fiber: 7g