My Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Shells recipe have three kinds of cheese that are melted and gooey. The stuffed shells are then covered in a rich, homemade Marinara sauce and more cheese. This spinach and mushroom filling works great with any pasta shape meant to be stuffed and baked. The pasta shape in the photos is named ‘lumaconi’, but a manicotti or conchiglie shape works great as well.
I break one major pasta cooking rule; I rinse the pasta shells once they are finished boiling, something that is a strict, cooking no-no. Normally you want the pasta to still have that starchy coating. The pasta starch helps grab onto the sauce and gives you that great flavor and texture. However, in order to work with the shells and stuff them you need to do two things:
1) The pasta shells need to cool down a little so you don’t burn your fingers.
2) They can’t be stuck together. If the starch on the pasta is allowed to stay on the shells, they will stick together in one big clump and you’ll never be able to work with them without tearing and destroying most of them. By rinsing, you stop them from sticking and all is well in the world, haha.
This is the same Marinara sauce recipe that I’ve used in several other recipes and it is perfect for stuffed shells. The recipe is quick and easy to make, and it costs less than half of what I spend on a jar of sauce. So, for five minutes’ worth of work, you get a sauce that is infinitely better than any sauce you get in a jar.
I use my Homemade Ricotta Cheese for my spinach and mushroom stuffed shells. Store-bought ricotta cheese is fine. However, Homemade Ricotta Cheese is about a thousand times better than store-bought. Some cheeses are meant to be eaten right away as soon as you make it and Ricotta is one of them. Anytime I see a prepackaged ‘fresh’ type of cheese that has a really long expiration date on it, it makes turn my nose up. lol, I know how dull and flavorless it’s going to taste.
Here’s my Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Shells recipe:
Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 1 Recipe Marinara Sauce
- 1 Pound Ricotta Cheese Approximately 1 3/4-cups
- 8 Ounces Low-Moisture Mozzarella Cheese Shredded
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese Shredded
- 1 Pound Cremini Mushrooms Sliced
- 1 Cup Red Onions Diced
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Crushed and chopped
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary Finely chopped
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 5 Ounces Fresh Spinach Chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- Prepare the Marinara Sauce Recipe or use one jar of store bought sauce
- Boil the pasta based on the manufacturer’s instructions for the shortest amount of time recommended. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water
- Preheat oven to 350F
- In a large skillet over high heat, add olive oil and onions, sauté for 3 minutes until soft, add the garlic for 20 seconds, add the chopped mushrooms, stir to combine, cover and let steam for 5 minutes
- Remove cover, stir and continue to sauté until the mushrooms have released all their moisture and are nicely browned
- Remove from the heat, add 1 Cup of Marinara sauce and stir to combine, place the chopped spinach on top of the hot mushrooms and cover, let the spinach wilt
- Add the ricotta and parmesan cheeses to the mushroom and spinach stuffing and stir to combine
- Add a small amount of Marinara sauce to the bottom of an 8 x 12-inch casserole dish and spread to cover the bottom
- Gently spoon the spinach and mushroom stuffing into shells and line them up in the casserole dish, any leftover stuffing can be dolloped in and around the stuffed shells, no one will complain
- Evenly spoon the remaining Marinara sauce over the stuffed shells
- Evenly distribute the mozzarella cheese over the top of the stuffed shells
- Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until the mozzarella cheese is nicely browned and the sauce is bubbling
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