Stuffed Shells with Spinach Ricotta

Stuffed Shells

with Spinach Ricotta

Wellness at Blue Apron
Find recipes that suit your lifestyle with our new nutritionist-approved dietary tags.
Fri Delivery Only
Recipe only available for Friday delivery.
WW™ Approved
Our recipes that have the WW™ Mark of Wellness make vegetables the star of your meal, utilize lean proteins, keep calorie counts in mind and limit saturated fat, sodium and added sugar, and use simple, wholesome ingredients to make dinnertime a nourishing and joyful experience. Smart Point Values ® (SPVs) are assigned to recipes on an “as packaged” basis. To learn more about WW™ visit our partner’s website at WW.com.
Vegetarian
Our vegetarian recipes contain no meat, poultry, fish, or seafood, but may include eggs, and animal-based dairy products, such as cheese and sour cream, as well as honey.
600 Calories Or Less
All of these delicious recipes come in at 600 calories or less per serving, ideal for those who choose to monitor their caloric intake, without sacrificing flavor. The US Food & Drug Administration recommends a 2000 calorie daily intake for the general population. The 600 calorie cap equates to 30% of total 2000 calories per day based on 3 meals per day with 200 calories remaining for snack or beverage.
Carb Conscious
Our Carb Conscious recipes provide a balanced approach to carbohydrate consumption by replacing refined carbohydrates from sources like white flour, rice, and cane sugar with high-fiber foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Our Carb Conscious recipes have 42g or less of net carbohydrates (total carbohydrates minus dietary fiber) per serving, a 25% reduction in net carbs compared to the average Blue Apron recipe served in 2019. Due to the natural variation in size of and contribution of produce in our recipes, some recipes can be badged as Carb Conscious at 45g or less net carbs per serving.
Mediterranean Diet
Our Mediterranean recipes are inspired by the Mediterranean Diet, a healthy eating plan recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans published jointly every five years by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS). This eating plan highlights the flavors and cooking styles from countries along the Mediterranean Sea, including those in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. These recipes showcase a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, as well as lean proteins and moderate portions of dairy.
Plant-Forward
Our Plant-Forward recipes are designed by our chefs to help support a flexible diet that emphasizes plant-based foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and other legumes like lentils and soy foods, and includes occasional, moderate portions of meat, poultry, fish, and seafood.
Diabetes Friendly
Our diabetes friendly offering allows you to enjoy wholesome options while adhering to the guidelines set forth by the nutrition experts at our partner at the American Diabetes Association. A recipe with this badge features non-starchy, fibrous vegetables with a limit on calories, total carbohydrates, saturated fat, added sugar and sodium. For those chefs following ADA guidelines, it is recommended that no additional salt be added to this recipe when prepared and for chefs to skip all salting steps of a recipe. See nutrition information on your current page or at blueapron.com for sodium “as packaged”. To find out more about the American Diabetes Association's guidelines visit our partner’s website www.diabetes.org.
  • icon-servings Created with Sketch.
    3 Servings
  • icon-nutrition Created with Sketch. Est. 675 Cals/serving

Ricotta (which translates to “recooked”) is made by reheating the whey separated from the curd during cheese making. The whey is allowed to ferment for up to 48 hours before boiling, which leaves behind a soft, mild cheese. Ricotta is found in many dishes, including ravioli, manicotti, and of course — stuffed shells.

Get Cooking
fresh
ingredients
Stuffed Shells with Spinach Ricotta
Title
  • 5 oz Jumbo Pasta Shells
  • 1 28-Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1 Yellow Onion
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 1 bunch Basil
  • 1 Lemon
  • ⅛ tsp Cinnamon
  • 2 cups Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
  • 2 oz Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 2 oz Baby Spinach
step-by-step
instructions
Cook Along Triangle Created with Sketch.
Prepare the ingredients:
1 Prepare the ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Peel and mince the garlic. Finely chop the spinach. Pick the basil leaves off the stems. With a peeler, remove the peel of the lemon. Finely chop the peel to make about 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a citrus grater). Cut the lemon into quarters and remove the seeds. Peel and medium dice the onion.
Make the tomato sauce:
2 Make the tomato sauce:
In a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the onions and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft. Reduce the heat to medium and add the crushed tomatoes; season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, as you continue to cook.
Make the filling:
3 Make the filling:
While the sauce is simmering, in a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, chopped spinach, cinnamon, lemon zest, lemon juice from all the lemon wedges, half of the Parmesan cheese and all but a pinch of the basil (roughly chopping, if you’d like). Stir until well combined, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Cook the shells:
4 Cook the shells:
Add the shells to the boiling water and cook for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they are almost cooked through. The shells should still be slightly firm — this will help keep them together when you fill them. Carefully drain the shells and gently toss with olive oil to prevent sticking.
Prepare the shells:
5 Prepare the shells:
Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of an oven-safe dish. Then, working one at a time, fill each cooked shell with a generous tablespoon of spinach-ricotta mixture. (Keep a paper towel nearby to clean your fingers as you work to keep the shells neat.) Lay the filled shells into the baking dish in an even layer.
Bake the shells:
6 Bake the shells:
Spread the remaining tomato sauce on top of the shells, then top with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is slightly browned. Remove from the oven and let stand at least 5 minutes to set. To plate your dish, scoop the shells onto each plate and garnish with the remaining basil leaves. Enjoy!

Tips from Home Chefs

About Blue Apron

Ba hero

Blue Apron delivers original, step-by-step recipes and fresh ingredients to customers nationwide. Our menus change every week, so with each delivery you learn to cook inventive new dishes with seasonal ingredients. By letting us source these hard-to-find ingredients for you, you'll get food that is fresher and cheaper than you can get at your local supermarket, and there's no waste because we only send you what you need for each recipe.

We named our company “Blue Apron” because chefs around the world wear blue aprons when they're learning to cook, and it has become a symbol of lifelong learning in cooking. We believe you're never done learning in the kitchen, so we design our menus to ensure you're always learning new cooking techniques, trying new cuisines, and using unique ingredients.

Blue Apron is a weekly subscription service with no commitment - you can skip a week or cancel at any time with a week's notice. We can't wait to cook with you!

Get This Recipe Delivered

Stuffed Shells

Prepare the ingredients:
1 Prepare the ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Peel and mince the garlic. Finely chop the spinach. Pick the basil leaves off the stems. With a peeler, remove the peel of the lemon. Finely chop the peel to make about 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a citrus grater). Cut the lemon into quarters and remove the seeds. Peel and medium dice the onion.
2 Make the tomato sauce:
In a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the onions and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft. Reduce the heat to medium and add the crushed tomatoes; season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, as you continue to cook.
Make the tomato sauce:
Make the filling:
3 Make the filling:
While the sauce is simmering, in a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, chopped spinach, cinnamon, lemon zest, lemon juice from all the lemon wedges, half of the Parmesan cheese and all but a pinch of the basil (roughly chopping, if you’d like). Stir until well combined, seasoning with salt and pepper.
4 Cook the shells:
Add the shells to the boiling water and cook for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they are almost cooked through. The shells should still be slightly firm — this will help keep them together when you fill them. Carefully drain the shells and gently toss with olive oil to prevent sticking.
Cook the shells:
Prepare the shells:
5 Prepare the shells:
Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of an oven-safe dish. Then, working one at a time, fill each cooked shell with a generous tablespoon of spinach-ricotta mixture. (Keep a paper towel nearby to clean your fingers as you work to keep the shells neat.) Lay the filled shells into the baking dish in an even layer.
6 Bake the shells:
Spread the remaining tomato sauce on top of the shells, then top with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is slightly browned. Remove from the oven and let stand at least 5 minutes to set. To plate your dish, scoop the shells onto each plate and garnish with the remaining basil leaves. Enjoy!
Bake the shells: