• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Simple Healthy Kitchen
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
    • Popular Recipes
    • Dinner
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Juices & Smoothies
    • Salads
    • Sides
    • Slow Cooker
    • Soups
    • Vegan
  • What’s in Season?
  • Contact
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • What’s in Season?
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipe Index
    • What’s in Season?
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » 30 Min. or Less

    Spinach + Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells

    Last Updated February 26, 2021. Originally Published April 21, 2016 By Susan 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells- a light and healthy pasta dish. Jumbo macaroni pasta shells are stuffed with a tasty medley of veggies and ricotta cheese. Topped with marinara (or your favorite pasta sauce) and melty Italian cheeses. Tastes like lasagna, but it's lighter and has fewer calories. {vegetarian, easy, kid-friendly}

    Spinach + Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells

    It’s Spring! I love this time of year when the weather starts getting warmer, the sun starts shining more and winter is becoming a distant memory. I find I’m gravitating to all things light and bright. I’ve shed my all black/grey winter wardrobe and I’m loving this seasons lilac/rose/smokey blue color palette. I’m also gravitating to lighter meal options. Like these Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells.

    It’s still comfort food (hello! pasta, gooey cheese and tasty tomato sauce)...but a lighter version. These baked  stuffed pasta shells are perfect for Spring (or anytime you want a lighter pasta meal). Each pasta shell is stuffed with lots of healthy veggies like spinach, zucchini and carrots . Mixed with ricotta cheese and just a bit of melty Italian blend cheeses  because, well…pasta just needs some melty stringy cheese that stretches from your plate to your fork.

    Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells

    The filling part (as in fill your belly with nutritious food) is the filling (as in the tasty medley of veggies that are stuffed into each pasta shell). A majority of what you are filling up on are veggies! Mixing the veggies with ricotta cheese and covering with marinara sauce (or your favorite pasta sauce) means these stuffed pasta shells taste like little bites of lasagna, but with a whole lot less noodles (which means fewer calories).

    Stuffed Pasta Shells { Spinach + Cheese}

    The beauty of using pasta shells is that you can tailor the quantity to fit your needs. You can scale this recipe to serve one or two or make enough for a big party.

    I’ve included ingredient measurements in the recipe below but this is a really flexible dish and nothing needs to be precise. Use whatever vegetables you have/like (just chop very fine or shred), add some ricotta and a bit of Italian cheese blend (or mozzarella/Parmesan)

    Some veggie ideas : besides zucchini, onions, spinach and carrots ..cauliflower (I would put it in the blender to make “rice” consistency – you can read about that here) peas, asparagus, squash, mushrooms, corn etc. You can change the vegetables you use based on what's in season.

    Happy Spring! Time to go jump on my bike and check out all the lilacs that are blooming like crazy around here! (happy! happy!)

    Spinach + Cheese Stuffed Shells

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Spinach + Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells

    Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells- a light and healthy pasta dish. Jumbo macaroni pasta shells are stuffed with a tasty medley of veggies and ricotta cheese. Topped with marinara (or your favorite pasta sauce) and melty Italian cheeses. Tastes like lasagna, but it's lighter and has fewer calories.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time45 mins
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: Italian
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 399kcal
    Author: Susan | SimpleHealthyKitchen.com

    Ingredients

    • 12 dried jumbo shell macaroni
    • 1 cup shredded carrots about 2 large carrots
    • 1 cup shredded zucchini about 1 medium
    • ½ cup finely chopped onion
    • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
    • 1 10- oz. pkg. frozen spinach thawed and well-drained
    • ¾ cup ricotta cheese part skim
    • 1 cup shredded Italian-blend cheese or 1/2 cup Parmesan and 1/2 cup mozzarella
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • 2 cups marinara sauce or your favorite pasta sauce
    • chopped fresh parsley for garnish optional

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 F
    • In a large saucepan, bring water to boil and cook pasta to al dente according to package directions (approx. 8-9 min.) ;drain. Rinse pasta in cold water;drain again.
    • While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil ; cook carrots, zucchini and onions until tender(approx 3-5 min.). Stir in spinach and cook an additional 1 minute , stirring frequently. Transfer spinach mixture to a large bowl.
    • Add ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the shredded cheese and salt to spinach mixture.
    • Pour 1 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of an ungreased 8x8 baking dish. Spoon spinach/ricotta mixture into each shell (approx. 2 rounded tablespoons per shell). Arrange stuffed shells over sauce in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over top of shells.. Cover with aluminum foil.
    • Bake until bubbly (approx. 20 min) Add remaining cheese, recover with foil and cook until melted (approx. 10 min). Serve and garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 3serving | Calories: 399kcal | Carbohydrates: 46.4g | Protein: 20.4g | Fat: 15.8g | Saturated Fat: 6.7g | Cholesterol: 34.3mg | Sodium: 667mg | Fiber: 4.6g | Sugar: 13.9g
    Share on Facebook Pin Recipe
    Tried this recipe? Pin it for later!Mention @shkitchen or tag #simplehealthykitchen!
    • recipe adapted from BHG Veggie-stuffed Pasta Shells (Skillet Dinners 2016) -link is to BHG, I don't see the recipe online anywhere yet.

     

     

    Share on pinterest
    Pinterest
    Share on twitter
    Twitter
    Share on facebook
    Facebook
    Share on reddit
    Reddit
    Share on tumblr
    Tumblr
    Share on stumbleupon
    Stumbleupon
    Share on yummly
    Yummly
    Share on email
    Email
    Share on print
    Print
    « Slow Cooker Carnitas Tacos + Corn Salsa
    Lemon Chicken Saltimbocca »

    About Susan

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Karly

      May 16, 2016 at 12:27 pm

      If it's stuffed with cheese, you can count me in! This looks like absolute perfection!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi I'm Susan!

    Thanks for stopping by Simple Healthy Kitchen- a food blog featuring simple healthy meal ideas that can be prepared in 30 min. or less, using seasonally fresh ingredients. Read More…

    GET THE LATEST RECIPES

    Visit our sister site- Healthy Instant Pot Recipes

    Footer

    GET THE LATEST RECIPES !

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    As Seen On:

    Logos of publications Simple Healthy Kitchen has been seen on. Listed are Buzz Feed, NBC News, Country Living, People Food and Woman's Day

    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • What's in Season?
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy & Disclosures

    Copyright © 2023