These stuffed pasta shells are filled with spinach and ricotta, nestled into a classic pomodoro sauce, topped with mozzarella and baked until golden and bubbling. They’re cheesy, comforting, and feel particularly special despite being made with relatively simple ingredients.

When one of my best friends had her baby, this is what I meal prepped to take over. It ticks so many boxes – easy to prepare (albeit there are a few steps involved), comforting, contains a good mix of veg but still feels very much like a cheesy and luxurious pasta bake.

This is the type of meal that can feel very special on a weeknight because it gives weekend energy. And perhaps the best part? You can assemble the whole thing ahead of time, pop it into the fridge, and simply bake until golden and bubbling when the time is right.

Why You’ll Love These Stuffed Pasta Shells

They’re the ultimate comfort food. With creamy ricotta, greens, pomodoro, pasta and bubbling mozzarella, there’s really not much to dislike here.
They’re perfect for making ahead. Assemble the stuffed shells, cover and refrigerate, then bake them when you’re ready to eat.
You can use whatever greens you have. Spinach is the classic choice, but I often use a 60/40 combination of kale and spinach. It’s a great way to rescue any slightly sad-looking greens hanging around the fridge.
The pomodoro is simple yet flavourful. San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, basil and good olive oil are really all you need.
They’re excellent for sharing. There’s a reason this is the dish I took to a friend after she had a baby. It’s comforting, reheats well, and feels a little more special than your average weeknight pasta.

Ingredients and Notes

You only need a handful of ingredients to make these spinach and ricotta stuffed shells, but using good-quality ingredients makes all the difference.

Conchiglione – These are the large pasta shells you’ll want for stuffing. They’re readily available at most supermarkets, but look for another large shell-shaped pasta if you can’t find them. If you’d rather tackle stuffed pasta completely from scratch, my master pasta dough is a good starting point.
Spinach and kale – You can stick with classic spinach or use a combination of spinach and kale like I often do. If using frozen greens, make sure to defrost them first, and drain off any liquid to prevent the shells from becoming soggy.
Ricotta – I use smooth ricotta to create the creamy filling. Because there aren’t many ingredients in the filling, this is somewhere I’d use a good-quality ricotta if you can. Use any leftovers to make ricotta ravioli with burro e oro sauce, too.
San Marzano tomatoes – Whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes form the base of my simple pomodoro sauce. The tomatoes are very much the star here, so again, use good ones!
Garlic – I leave the cloves whole and lightly smash them before gently infusing them in the olive oil.
Fresh basil – Don’t throw away those stalks! I add them to the olive oil with the garlic, then finish the pomodoro with the basil leaves.
Mozzarella – Use a firm, low-moisture mozzarella rather than fresh mozzarella. It melts beautifully without introducing too much extra moisture to the stuffed shells, which can make them soggy.

How to Make Stuffed Pasta Shells

There are a few separate elements involved, but none of them are particularly difficult. Once your filling and pomodoro are ready, assembly is really just a matter of stuffing, nestling and baking.

Prepare the greens. Blanch the spinach, or spinach and kale, for about a minute before transferring them to a bowl of iced water. Squeeze out as much excess water as physically possible, then blitz them with the ricotta, salt and black pepper until combined.
Cook the pasta shells. In the same pot of salted water, cook your conchiglione a few minutes less than the packet instructions. They’ll continue cooking in the oven, so we don’t want them completely cooked at this stage. Drain and arrange them on a clean tea towel to cool.
Make the pomodoro. Gently infuse the olive oil with lightly smashed garlic cloves and the reserved basil stalks. Add the San Marzano tomatoes and simmer partially covered until the tomatoes have fallen in on themselves. Season to taste and finish with the fresh basil leaves.
Stuff the shells. Transfer the ricotta mixture to a piping bag or simply use a tablespoon. Fill each shell generously so it has what I like to call a little pot-belly of filling.
Assemble and bake. Nestle the stuffed pasta shells into the pomodoro sauce, top generously with grated mozzarella, and cover. Bake until the dish is almost finished, then uncover and continue baking until the top is golden and bubbling.

My Top Tips for the Best Stuffed Shells

Squeeze out as much water as you can from the greens. This is probably my biggest tip. Excess moisture from spinach or kale can make your ricotta filling watery.
Undercook the pasta. Cook the shells a few minutes less than the packet recommends. They’ll continue to soften while baking in the pomodoro.
Use a piping bag if you have one. You can absolutely fill the shells with a spoon, but a piping bag makes the whole process significantly quicker and less messy.
Taste your tomatoes. If they’re particularly tart, a small sprinkle of sugar can help bring everything back into balance.

Can I Make Stuffed Pasta Shells Ahead of Time?

Absolutely, and it’s one of my favourite things about this recipe. You can prepare the filling and pomodoro, cook and stuff the shells, then assemble the entire dish in advance. Cover it well and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to bake.

When you’re ready, simply take the assembled shells from the fridge and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the mozzarella is beautifully golden. If they’re going into the oven particularly cold, they may need a little extra time to heat through.

How to Store, Freeze and Reheat

These ricotta stuffed shells store particularly well, so don’t worry if you have leftovers.

To store: Allow leftover stuffed shells to cool, then transfer them to an airtight container or cover the baking dish well. Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
To freeze: You can freeze stuffed pasta shells either before or after baking. Assemble them in a freezer-safe baking dish, cover well, and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also freeze individual cooked portions if you’d rather have something easy to pull out for dinner.
To reheat: Cover the shells and reheat in the oven at 180°C (356°F) until piping hot throughout. Individual portions can also be reheated in the microwave.

Ingredients

For the filling

Approx 400g spinach or kale and spinach mix – should yield 200g once blanched
500 g smooth ricotta
Salt and pepper

For the pomodoro sauce

4-5 tablespoons of good quality extra virgin olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves whole and lightly smashed
A couple of sprigs of fresh basil leaves removed, stalks reserved
2 x 400g cans whole and peeled San Marzano tomatoes
Salt to taste

You’ll also need

350 g Conchiglione (approx) these are the large pasta shells readily available at most supermarkets
60 g low hydration mozzarella the kind you can grate, for baking

Instructions

For the filling/stuffed shells

Start by bringing a large pot of water to boil – season generously with salt.
Blanch the spinach/greens for a minute before placing into a bowl of iced water.
Squeeze as much excess water out from the greens and place into a food processor, along with the ricotta and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper – blitz until combined and set aside in the fridge until ready to use.
In the same pot of water you used to blanch the greens – cook the pasta a few minutes less than packet instructions – you don’t want to overcook this.
Drain the pasta and lay the shells out on a clean tea towel to cool.