• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Renana's Kitchen - Kosher Food Blog With Easy Recipes
  • Recipe Index
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Parve Desserts
  • Holidays
  • Vegan
  • Gluten Free
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells (no ricotta)

    Published: Jul 3, 2022 · Modified: Aug 28, 2022 · by Renana · I may get commission for purchases made through links in this post at no extra cost to you.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Home » Recipes » Dinner » Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells (no ricotta)

    Pan-baked vegetarian stuffed pasta dish with red sauce and cheese.

    Delicious dairy dish for a hearty dinner. Made with spinach, pasta shells and tomato sauce- the perfect Italian combo that the whole family will love. 

    Usually this dish contains 3 different cheese types in the filling, including ricotta cheese. This way the filling is more on the cheesy, creamy side.

    However my version of the dish is made with mozzarella and parmesan only (which are the other  cheese types I mentioned above) and the spinach is the more significant filling ingredient. I find it makes the dish a bit lighter and more spinachy and herby. Don't worry, it's still cheesy and delicious!

    Another important thing to mention is that sometimes this dish also contains meat but my blog is kosher (and also vegetarian), so I don't share any meat and dairy recipes and this recipe has no meat at all. 

    Originally I shared this recipe in March, when Passover was coming, whether we wanted to admit it or not. This dish was my "get rid of chametz" recipe to start preparing for the holiday. And the spinach stuffed pasta shell dish is still relevant now, as  most of us probably have pasta in our pantry and we need to use it somehow! I had this large pasta shell package to use which inspired me to share this amazing spinach stuffed pasta shell recipe! Not only does it get you ready for no more chametz but it’s a great dinner recipe!

    Stuffed pasta shells in a pan

    Ingredients

    Pasta shells- large pasta shells often called jumbo shells too. It's easier when you have big shells to actually fill them with the filling. If you use other pasta shapes the outcome is more like a layered dish like lasagna. 

    Spinach- I used frozen chopped spinach that comes in cubes, you can use fresh spinach as well just cook it in a pan with a little oil then blend with a blender to have it fully chopped.

    Tomato sauce- I used store-bought tomato sauce, you can also make tomato sauce from scratch.

    Cheese-  You can add any other hard cheese you want like cheddar or gruyere if you prefer not to use mozzarella. 

    Instructions

    The process of making the stuffed spinach pasta shell dish starts with the pasta, of course. The pasta needs to be cooked before stuffing. Then you mix the filling ingredients in a bowl. Start by adding some tomato sauce to the bottom of the baking pan. Then arrange the cooked pasta on top of the sauce layer and pipe the filling to each pasta shell. I find that the best way to stuff shells is to transfer the filling to a piping bag, it's clean and easy to fill each shell.  (If you don’t have a piping bag, you can fill the shells with a teaspoon instead but it's a bit more messy).

    Add more tomato sauce on top of the stuffed shells, sprinkle parmesan cheese, cover and bake for half an hour. The whole process is very simple and it is only a matter of assembling everything together. The outcome has a rustic look and the flavor is just divine! 

    Substitutions tips and more

    • Note that if you have any other pasta types, this recipe still applies. All you need to do is layer the filling instead of actually filling the pasta. Something like making lasagna but with different layers. This filling recipe can work to fill cannelloni too, which are basically rolled lasagna sheets. 
    • If you use frozen spinach and need to thaw it, I like to place it in a colander on top of a pot with boiling water. Mix very gently and try not to break the cubes completely. Once thawed, I just take the colander out of the water pot and transfer the spinach to a mixing bowl to combine with the other filling ingredients. 
    • If you want to add more vegetables to the dish and make it richer and healthier, you can add roasted carrots, mushrooms and peppers to the filling. Roast them separately and when ready, chop them into small pieces and mix with the rest of the filling.

    What to serve with stuffed pasta shells

    If you are wondering what side dishes go with this delicious spinach stuffed shell dish I have some great ideas below. In general any salad works or another option is to serve soup as an entree and then the stuffed shells for a great filling, hearty dinner. 

    Since this dish contains dairy, it also fits the Shavuot holiday meal as well. Another idea is to serve it during Hanukkah when you need a tasty dish to balance all the fried food. Often Hanukkah is all about dairy meals so this dish is perfect for that. As I mentioned, I used it as a "get rid of chametz" dish so it really is a great dinner any time and goes with any side dish you like to have. here are my side dish suggestions:

    1. Pear salad 

    2. Orange vegetable soup

    3. Mushroom quiche

    Other pasta recipes

    If you like this recipe check out my other pasta recipes:

    1. Zucchini pasta bake
    2. One tray creamy mushroom pasta
    3. Pasta salad

    For more dinner recipes, explore my dinner recipe index. 

    Let's start making these delicious spinach stuffed pasta shells (with no ricotta):

    Stuffed pasta shells in a pan

    Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells

    Delicious dinner in a pan with great Italian flavors that everyone loves.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 35 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 4 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound (500 grams) pasta shells
    • 2 cans tomato sauce (800 grams total | ~28oz)
    • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

    For the filling:

    • Frozen chopped spinach (I used the one that comes in cubes, 600 grams | ~21oz)
    • ⅔ cup grated mozzarella cheese
    • 1 egg
    • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
    • 2-3 tablespoon chopped basil leaves
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • Salt and pepper, by your taste

    Instructions
     

    • Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box and set aside.
    • Thaw the frozen spinach completely.
    • Add the thawed spinach to a bowl and mix with the other filling ingredients.
    • Transfer the filling to a piping bag (or use a teaspoon).
    • Set the oven to 180°C / 350°F with the fan.
    • Add a layer of tomato sauce to a baking pan (9x13).
    • Arrange the cooked pasta shells on the sauce layer.
    • Pipe the filling into the shells.
    • Cover the rest with the tomato sauce.
    • Sprinkle the parmesan cheese.
    • Cover with foil.
    • Bake for 30 minutes covered.
    • Remove cover and bake for more 4-5 minutes.
    • Cool at room temperature.
    • Munch and enjoy!

    Notes

    * If you have any other pasta types that is not shaped as big shells, this recipe still applies. All you need to do is layer the filling instead of actually filling the pasta. Something like making lasagna but with different layers. 
     

    More Dinner Recipes

    • Beer bread loaf on a cutting board
      Easy Homemade Beer Bread
    • Potato Salad in a green bowl
      Potato Salad
    • Parve Crustless Zucchini Quiche in a glass pan
      Parve Crustless Zucchini Quiche
    • beet hummus dip with vegetables
      Quick Pink Beet Hummus

    Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: Pasta

    Subscribe

    for your weekly recipe fix.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Samantha

      September 18, 2022 at 6:16 am

      5 stars
      bookmarked!!, I love yourr site!

      Reply
    2. Renana

      October 02, 2022 at 2:22 pm

      5 stars
      yes

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar



    Renana Spiegel Levkovich

    Hello!

    I'm Renana and I share kosher recipes for Shabbat, yummy parve desserts, and Jewish holiday recipes - and so much more. I share easy kosher recipes for the whole family, along with some pretty great photographs, and easy-to-follow instructions. Enjoy!

    Contact me for any question →


    Parve Desserts

    Gluten-free Pumpkin Bread

    Date Hamantaschen cookies on a plate

    Date Hamantaschen

    pistachio cake slice garnished with powdered sugar and shelled pistachios on a plate

    Passover Pistachio Cake (gluten-free & dairy-free)

    chia seed jam in a jar

    Chia Seed Jam

    Blueberry Apple Crumb Squares on a pan

    Blueberry Apple Crumb Squares

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter



    Contact

    • Contact
    • FAQ

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Renana's Kitchen