Red and Green Stuffed Shells (2024)

Cheesy, spinach-stuffed shells topped with a mix of marinara and bechamel. Bake right off the bat or freeze for later!

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Yields:: 12 serving(s)
Prep Time:: 15 mins
Cook Time:: 1 hr
Total Time:: 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

1 tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 whole Onion, Diced
1 clove Garlic, Minced
10 oz. weight Fresh Baby Spinach
4 tbsp. Butter
1/4 c. All-purpose Flour
2 1/2 c. Whol Milk, More If Needed
2 tbsp. Chopped Basil
2 tbsp. Chopped Parsley
Salt And Pepper, to taste
30 oz. weight Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
1 c. Grated Parmesan Cheese, Plus More For Sprinkling
1 whole Large Egg
12 oz. weight Jumbo Pasta Shells (25 To 30 Shells) Cooked Until Slightly Firmer Than Al Dente

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute until the onion starts to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring continuously, until it's slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove the spinach from the pan and let it cool slightly, then place it inside a few paper towels and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Give it a rough chop and set it aside.
Turn the heat to medium-low, then, in the same skillet, melt the butter and sprinkle the flour over the top. Whisk it together to make a roux, then cook it for a minute or two. Slowly add the milk, whisking out lumps as you go, and cook it until the white sauce is thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in half the basil, half the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Add another 1/4 cup milk if the white sauce is too thick. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
In a separate bowl, mix together the ricotta, Parmesan, egg, the rest of the basil, the rest of the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste until combined. Stir in the chopped spinach mixture.
To assemble the shells, use a spoon to fill the pasta shells with the cheese mixture. Place the shells seam side down in a 9 x 13 casserole dish or disposable foil baking pan. Pour the marinara evenly over the shells, then ladle the white sauce over the marinara in a zig-zag/line design. Finally, sprinkle with more Parmesan.
Bake it in a preheated 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
***To freeze, cover the unbaked shells tightly with heavy foil and freeze for up to 6 months. To bake the frozen casserole, place it in a 375 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours, then uncover and continue baking for 10 to 30 minutes, depending on how frozen it was.
OR
***Thaw the pan in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours, then bake as directed.

This is one of my favorite recipes from my new cookbook (well, one of about 140 favorite recipes from my new cookbook—ha! I love food) and I wanted to share it with you because the title sounds very Christmasy AND it happens to be out-of-this-world yummy. It also happens to be a fabulous dish for the freezer: You can make it now, freeze it unbaked, then save it for one of those busy days during Christmastime when you don’t have time to make dinner but your family is banging their forks on the table.

Oh…that doesn’t happen to you? Oh. Never mind.

Here’s how to make this delightful dinner!

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic, and saute it until the onion starts to soften, about 4.992839948 minutes.

And cook it until the white sauce is thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes.

See? I rounded!

Turn off the heat and add salt and pepper…

And some basil and parsley! Stir it around and set it aside (you can add another 1/4 cup milk if it gets too thick!)

Now you need the cheese mixture! Ricotta, Parmesan, egg, a little more basil and parsley, a little salt and pepper…

Then drop in the spinach…

And stir it in. (And, if you’re me, eat a big spoonful. Raw eggs don’t scare me.)

Now grab some jumbo cooked pasta shells (let ’em cool) and use a spoon to smear the spinach/cheese mixture inside. Stuff ’em generously!

Place ’em seam side down in a 9 x 13 pan, whether it’s foil or ceramic. (Put a little marinara sauce in the bottom of the pan first.)

Pour the rest of the marinara evenly over the shells (but do not spread it into an even layer.)

Then ladle the white sauce over the marinara in a zig-zag/line design.

Finally, sprinkle on some extra Parmesan! You could even top it with mozzarella…but it’s delicious as it is.

If you’re baking it right away, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake the shells for 25 to 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. (If you’d rather freeze it, cover the pan of unbaked shells tightly with heavy foil and freeze for up to 6 months. Then bake it in a preheated 375 degree oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 30 minutes more, depending on how frozen it was. Alternatively, you can thaw the pan in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours, then bake as directed.)

Serve 2 to 3 shells at a time!

Wowzers.

Wowzers!

Here’s the handy dandy printable.