These Easy Stuffed Shells are a delicious and healthy twist on the classic recipe. You can mix in your favorite vegetables to make this your own – and it comes together in just under an hour!
This easy stuffed shells recipe is one of my first-ever Thanksgiving recipes from back in 2018. It’s also one of the ones you ask me about the most!
Although Stuffed Shells are a classic dish, I remember it as the thing that my older sister used to make every year for the holidays. As someone that hated ricotta cheese, I was always impressed that this recipe had me going for seconds (and sometimes thirds).
They were actually a little worried too, thinking it was just going to be ricotta cheese and spinach! But, if you know me by now, you know I won’t serve anything that isn’t sure to be a hit.
The mixture of all the vegetables and seasonings in this version of Stuffed Shells really made a huge difference. The blend of veggies creates textures that really bring this dish to a new level!
What I really like about this dish is that you can easily make it your own. This recipe features broccoli, spinach, bell peppers, peas, and jalapenos, but you could easy swap, remove, or add the vegetables based on what you like. Other vegetables like mushrooms, roasted red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, and more can be added to change this up completely. So, have fun with it!
How to Make Stuffed Shells Ahead of Time
When you’re hosting guests or making multiple dishes to entertain, it’s extremely helpful to have some dishes that can be made ahead of time. Even if only some aspects of the dish can be pre-prepared, it is a lifesaver!
I personally cook my pasta shells the day before. Then, I rinse and drain them and place them in the fridge overnight. This helps me save time, especially if I have to cook other items and clean the house before expecting guests!
You can also make the vegetable mixture the day before and mix the ricotta on the day-of, right before you start filing the shells.
24ozpasta sauce – Rao’s spicy arrabbiata sauce or homemade
2cupsbroccoli florets finely chopped
1bagfresh spinachfinely chopped
1medbell pepperfinely chopped
1medonion finely chopped
⅓cupfrozen peas
1–2jalapenos finely chopped
5clovesgarlicfinely minced
2tbspItalian seasoning
3tbspolive oil
2 tspcrushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F, cook pasta shells according to package instructions and drain well.
In a large pan heat some olive oil and add the onions, garlic and jalapeños. Cook for 2-3 mins and add the bell peppers, broccoli and peas along with all the all the seasonings. Stir and cover pan with lid so broccoli and pea’s can fully cook. About 4-5 mins on med – low heat.
Add the spinach and cover the pan with a lid for 3 mins. Let the spinach wilt down. Once this mixture is cooked and cooled off, mix in the ricotta cheese in.
Assemble the shells: Pour ⅓ of the sauce into the bottom of the baking pan/dish. Fill each shell with 1-2 tablespoon of fulling. Add a little bit more sauce on top of the shells and sprinkle the cheese.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 350°F for 20 mins. Serve while hot and enjoy!
Just an East/West coast girl living the southern life. I love sharing all my tested and perfected recipes here, along with some travel guides and a little bit of my lifestyle
