Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells from Vicki Delany

Happy New Year to Everyone. Here’s to good cooking and good eating, and lots of good books, in 2026! 

At this time of year, those of us who live in wintery climes want something piping hot and filling for dinner, and this dish fits perfectly.  It’s vegetarian, so suitable for those trying to cut down on their meat consumption. Although, it is most definitely not cheese free!

I used canned spaghetti sauce as a short cut, but of course you can make your own.

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells

Ingredients

32 jumbo pasta shells

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 pkg spinach, chopped

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons fennel seed

1 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

3 ½ cups spaghetti sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Gently place pasta shells in boiling water; return water to a boil. Cook until shells are just tender; drain well.

Squeeze spinach dry and place in a large mixing bowl. Add ricotta, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, fennel, basil, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper; mix well.

Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Fill each pasta shell with spinach-cheese mixture. Arrange shells, filling-side up, in the baking dish. Spoon remaining spaghetti sauce over shells. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top of shells.

Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven until heated through, about 30 minutes.

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