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Ricotta and spinach stuffed pasta shells in a cast iron skillet.

Simple and Healthy Vegetarian Stuffed Pasta Shells

These vegetarian stuffed pasta shells are a go-to pasta dish. Creamy mascarpone and earthy spinach baked under a blanket of melty mozzarella!
5 from 1 vote
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Course: pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Author: Deborah Rainford

Ingredients

  • 20 (20) large pasta shells

For the filling

  • 1 (1) x 250g tub mascarpone
  • ½ (½) jar red pepper sauce
  • 300 g (9 ½ cups) spinach, wilted

For the sauce

  • 1 (1) onion, diced
  • 4 cloves (4 cloves) garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) dried rosemary
  • 1 (1) box tomato passata
  • 200 ml (6 ¾ floz) vegetable stock made with a stock cube.

For the topping

  • 175 g (1 ½ cups) shredded mozzarella

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Cook the pasta shells according to the package instructions. Once cooked, drain the pasta and set them aside to cool.
  • Wilt the spinach in a pan with about 100ml water. Let the water boil and remove from the heat. Add the spinach and let wilt for a minute. Use a slotted spoon or tongs and remove the spinach from the water. Let the spinach cool and use a paper towel to squeeze out the excess water.
  • In a small bowl mix the mascarpone, red pepper sauce and wilted spinach. Once the shells have cooled, stuff them with the mascarpone filling.
  • To make the tomato sauce, sweat the onion and garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil until they are soft and translucent. Add in the dried herbs and mix well. Pour in the passata and vegetable stock and let simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.
  • Spoon the sauce into the bottom of a skillet or oven-safe baking dish. Place the stuffed shells in the pan. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella onto the stuffed shells and sprinkle with a few thyme leaves, but only if you have them. Thyme leaves are completely optional, I just had them for another recipe.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and just starting to turn golden. Use a spoon to divide between plates. 

Notes

  1. This recipe makes enough to feed 6-8 people as a side dish to go along with all your other holiday dishes, or it will serve 4 people as a main dish.
  2. You can use ricotta instead of mascarpone as a straight substitution. 
  3. These stuffed shells are amazing as leftovers the next day. Reheat them in the microwave to keep them soft and chewy. Reheating them in the oven will take too long and dry the shells out. 
  4. Feel free to make the sauce and the filling the day before and simply assemble everything on the day of serving to keep it all really easy. 

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 538mg | Potassium: 603mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 7460IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 329mg | Iron: 3mg
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