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Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce

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Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce made with jumbo pasta shells stuffed with ricotta (or use cottage cheese for more protein), mozzarella and spinach in a ground turkey meat sauce. Healthy, high protein and family friendly!

Spinach Stuffed Shells with Ground Turkey Meat Sauce

Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce

Stuffed shells with meat sauce is a classic Italian-American dish that combines pasta, ricotta cheese, and a hearty meat sauce to create a flavorful and filling meal. I make it leaner with ground turkey and to add nutrients, I add spinach to the filling. This dish can be made ahead of time and is perfect for serving a large group or if you need a family dinner idea.

Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce

Ingredients for Stuffed Shells with Meat

  • Jumbo Pasta Shells (e.g. Barilla or gluten-free pasta)
  • Onion, finely chopped
  • Garlic cloves, chopped
  • Olive oil
  • Lean ground turkey (either 99% or 93% lean) or ground beef
  • Crushed tomatoes (e.g. Tuttorosso)
  • Fresh basil, chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • Part-skim ricotta cheese
  • Part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • Large egg
  • Frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed
  • Parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan cheese

How To Make Stuffed Shells with Ricotta and Meat Sauce

  1. Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, saute onions and garlic in oil. Add the ground meat and salt and brown until cooked, breaking up in small pieces with a wooden spoon. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, pepper and basil, then simmer on low, covered, about 15 minutes, until the flavors meld.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together ricotta, egg, spinach, mozzarella, and parmesan.
  4. Once shells are cooked and cool, fill each shell with (about 2 heaping tbsp) cheese mixture and place on a large baking dish, or two smaller dishes, covering the bottom of the dish with a little sauce.
  5. Preheat oven to 375F. Top shells with half of the sauce, cover with foil and bake 40 minutes; uncover foil and bake 5 more minutes. Serve with additional sauce on top and garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

Variations and Tips

  • For a vegetarian version, omit the ground turkey in the meat sauce or use veggie crumbles instead.
  • If you’re not a fan of ground turkey you can use ground beef or ground chicken instead.
  • You can prepare the meat sauce and the ricotta filling a day ahead to save time.

Stuffed Shells Storage and Freezer Tips

Stuffed shells freeze well. Assemble the dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, and freeze. To bake, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed. (You can see more freezer meals here).

What to Serve with Stuffed Shells:

Enjoy stuffed shells with a side salad and some crusty garlic bread for a complete dinner.

Stuffed Shells with spinach

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Stuffed Shells Recipe with Meat Sauce

4.86 from 34 votes
9
Cals:360.9
Protein:28.4
Carbs:34.3
Fat:12.8
Delicious Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce are made with jumbo pasta shells stuffed with ricotta cheese, mozzarella and spinach in a ground turkey meat sauce. Healthy, high protein and family friendly!
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Stuffed Shells with spinach
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour 40 minutes
Yield: 9 servings
Serving Size: 3 stuffed shells

Ingredients

  • 27 Jumbo Pasta Shells, such as barilla, or gf pasta, 9 ounces total
  • 1 cup onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 lb 99% lean ground turkey, or 93% lean
  • 32 oz crushed tomatoes, I used Tuttorosso
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese, or cottage cheese for more protein
  • 8 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 large egg
  • 16 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed well
  • 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, or parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Prep the Pasta Shells: Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Prepare the Meat Sauce:

  • Meanwhile, saute onions and garlic in oil.
  • Add the ground turkey and salt and brown until cooked, breaking up in small pieces with a wooden spoon.
  • Stir in the tomatoes, salt, pepper and basil, then simmer on low, covered, about 15 minutes, until the flavors meld.

Prepare the Cheese Filling:

  • In a large bowl, mix together ricotta, egg, spinach, mozzarella, and parmesan.

Assemble The Stuffed Shells

  • Once shells are cooked and cool, fill each shell with (about 2 heaping tbsp) cheese mixture and place on a large baking dish, or two smaller dishes, covering the bottom of the dish with a little sauce.

Bake

  • Preheat oven to 375F.
  • Top shells with half of the sauce, cover with foil and bake 40 minutes; uncover foil and bake 5 more minutes.
  • Serve with additional sauce on top and garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Serving: 3 stuffed shells, Calories: 360.9 kcal, Carbohydrates: 34.3 g, Protein: 28.4 g, Fat: 12.8 g, Saturated Fat: 3.7 g, Cholesterol: 72.5 mg, Sodium: 375 mg, Fiber: 3.3 g, Sugar: 0.5 g

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233 comments on “Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce”

  1. Great Easy Recipe. I made mine slightly different w/o Spinach and w/o ground turkey nor ground beef .

  2. This needed extra salt, garlic powder and basil added to the ricotta mixture. Otherwise, quick easy and a hit with my husband and kiddos.

  3. Fantastic! These shells are delicious and very filling! I subbed nonfat cottage cheese for the ricotta for that extra protein boost. Definitely recommend making this!! (And makes enough for multiple meals!)

  4. I made this recipe for family dinner and everyone thought it was delicious. The meat sauce on top makes the shells a bit more filling than typical pasta dishes. That said, 4 shells seemed like a more appropriate serving size than 3, which obviously increases the calorie count. Would definitely make this again.

  5. Made this today for a Christmas dinner party with friends and it was a HIT!!! I did add some Italian seasoning to the cheese filling to add a little more flavor. Will make again!

  6. Not my favorite skinny taste recipe, but it is still filling and comforting. I used an extra clove of garlic. I have a ton of leftover filling. I prefer lasagna roll ups so I plan to make those with my leftover filling.

  7. This was delicious. Had to add more salt and pepper because amounts were unspecified. This made a big difference. Also added some fresh herbs since I had them on hand. A really satisfying meal.

  8. This was delicious. Had to add more salt and pepper because amounts were unspecified. This made a big difference. Also added some fresh herbs since I had them on hand. Definitely will make this again!

  9. Good recipe. I understand those who think it’s a bit bland. I added a bit of salt and garlic to the cheese mixture. I also added more garlic and basil, as well as some red wine to the sauce. Taste each mixture before you put it together in the dish and add what you think it needs to taste great. The recipes are written for a general audience and some of us like a heavier spice, some a lighter spice. It’s all good. I would make this again.

  10. I’ve looked at all my local stores and can’t find a 32 oz can of crushed tomatoes. Even on the Tuttorosso’s website the product isn’t listed. Any ideas?

  11. I love so many ST recipes, but this is one of my all time favorites. I make my own sauce and use chicken sausage and add a little red wine. I scale down the recipe and freeze extra portions since I’m only cooking for two.

  12. Delicious easy family friendly meal. Although unfortunately I only had plum tomatoes available and my teen didn’t enjoy the lumpy tomatoes 🍅 Will definitely make again soon with tomato sauce. Thank you!

    1. I only use plum tomatoes, when a recipe calls for crushed I just throw them in the food processor or chopper.

  13. Hi Gina, are the Points for this recipe for 99% ground turkey which is zero points or if we use 93% do we add points serving because a pound of 93 % ground turkey is between 16 and 17 points

  14. Hi Gina. Love your recipes. My family members do not like ricotta cheese. Should I just increase the shredded mozzarella cheese?

      1. Siobhan…my family also does not like the texture of cottage cheese, I blend it and add a tiny bit of cream cheese also and they never know the difference, I’ve given and made many lasagnas with cottage cheese and ricotta cheese mix together, I blend them until creamy and smooth and no one ever knew lol

  15. I truly enjoy all your recipes but is there a way to know if any of these are in your books. I own them all and I am ending up with multiple copies

    1. If you go to the home page of the website, above the top of the site there’s a link for Cookbooks. There’s a list of all her cookbook recipes.

    1. This is a pretty forgiving recipe, that also, I might add is great for freezing. I just made 18 stuffed shells. I used one 28 oz can of tomatoes to make the sauce, one container of ricotta cheese (15 oz), 6 oz of mozzerella and winged it on the rest of the ingredients. If you use fresh spinach, you should have just enough. I cook for two and I froze two containers with 6 shells each.

  16. I like the sound of this recipe, sounds delicious. My concern is using aluminum foil to cover the dish. Aluminum and sauce don’t mix as the aluminum will “bleed” into the sauce. Would a covered dish (glass) work with this?

    1. Cover the dish with a sheet of parchment paper cut to the size of the dish, then cover the entire dish with the foil. This works every time and prevents any bleeding. I also use this technique when roasting anything with tomato when using an aluminum sheet pan – line it with parchment, going up the sides to prevent leakage directly onto the pan. Hope this helps.

      1. Thanks for the tip, Barbara👍🏼. I used parchment paper with this recipe, and also with Gina‘s chicken enchiladas (no more cheese stuck on the aluminum foil!).

  17. First time to cook shell noodles. Went by recipe but did not fully cover shells with sauce. Went with pictures. The shells were tough. Especially after removing cover to bake more. Cooked shells for 5 mins package direction. Everything seemed fine until baked. The taste was wonderful. Any suggestions.

  18. Hi- These look great! I’m planning to make these for Christmas Eve and wanted to see if they can be made a day ahead? If so, should they be cooked a day ahead and then reheated the day of? Or can they be in the fridge for a day prepared and then cooked the day off? Thank you in advance!

  19. are all these recipes that i receive on email also in your books?
    Wanting to purchase a book as prefer looking at a book versus looking at the computer.
    Love all the recipes and that they are heathy.
    Going to make this and have my son and his family over !! 🙂
    Cheryl

    1. No, the majority of the recipes online are not in the books. If you go to the cookbook tab on the skinnytaste.com there is an index that tells what recipes are in what books. 🙂

      1. Avatar photo
        Anna Spooner

        This is great to know, Gina, since I’m looking at buying a book or two after scouring your website!

  20. I often make this meat sauce and serve it over store bought stuffed shells or zoodles for a quick weeknight meal. My kids also love it mixed with ravioli in their thermos for school lunch. A quick, easy, tasty, healthy sauce!

  21. Avatar photo
    Faith VanDusen

    Hi Gina…
    Love love love your recipes. You make it really fun and easy to cook! I am going to make this for dinner tonight and was wondering if it would be ok to substitute veggie crumbles for the ground turkey?

    Thanks again for making me a definite better cook!

    Faith

  22. I made these and there were a lot left over, so I froze the remaining. Since they were frozen after they were already baked, does anyone have recommendations on the best way to cook them from frozen?
    Thanks!

    1. I just thaw them in my fridge (take them out of the freezer that morning or night before) and then cook as directed. If they don’t thaw completely, I add more cooking time, starting them off covered in foil in oven (to prevent drying out or burning due to extra bake time).

  23. This was really delicious!  It made enough for 3 meals for the two of us. Will be making this again!  

  24. I made these last night and they were amazing.  And now we have lunches to take for a few days!  Definitely making this again

    1. I use fresh spinach in mine and thought it tasted better. I buy baby spinach so the leaves don’t need to be cut up, and I also remove most of the thick stems cutting them in halves or thirds. For a full box of shells, I use 2 bags of 8oz prewashed spinach

  25. I made these last night and they were amazing! both my husband and i loved them and were surprised at how filling a small portion was! I did however use beef instead of turkey, just because we don’t like the taste of ground poultry

  26. Pingback: Spinach Stuffed Shells | The Pantry Portfolio

  27. Avatar photo
    Kristen Larrea

    The serving size for the shells are 3… what is the serving size I need to measure for the meat sauce? I am making this recipe for a big get together soon but still want to be accountable for my WW Smart Points. I can’t wait to make this it, looks so good. I am doing an Italian themed dinner with tons of your recipes Gina :D.

  28. These are so so good! I used quite a bit more crushed tomatoes because my family likes lots of sauce. Then I added some baby bellas and some coriander to bulk up the sauce (because with the extra sauce, the turkey seemed to be less plentiful) and  it was fabulous. Enjoy!

  29. Making this recipe as we speak, and I think my "jumbo shells" are smaller because I was only able to get about 2 heaping teaspoons of mixture into each shell, so I ended up filling up about 37 shells haha! So I figure since 2 teaspoons is 1/3 of 2 tablespoons, I could get away with eating between 6-9 shells instead? Regardless, I'm about to go pick up a friend and we are so excited to nosh!

  30. Do you think it would work to include the turkey in the shells with the cheese and spinach mixture rather than in the sauce? Thanks for all the amazing recipes!!

  31. I made this in 2 smaller pans and froze one uncooked. If you thaw it and then cook as directed, the frozen one turns out great. You can also freeze after cooking into portion sizes, and this also works out well. I added some chopped mushrooms and red pepper to the sauce (no more points?). I also sprinkled a little more cheese on top before cooking (more points). I think some chicken or turkey sausage would add zip and might try that next time.

  32. I'm making these for my daughter-in-law's birthday on Sunday night. I cannot wait! but I'm trying to come up with something to serve along side of it. Any ideas?

    1. I know its too late of a response, but I always thought that homemade ceaser salad (dressing and all) would be super great with this, or even a raspberry vinagrette would be good. What did you end up making with it?

  33. Just made these and they were delish. Used Gluten Free Tinkyada Jumbo shells and they worked perfectly. Very filling like you said even though I didn't think 3 would be enough. Will definitely make this again. Even my pasta-hating husband loved these!

  34. Gina, for the 9 points plus serving, how much sauce is included with the three shells? 1/2 a cup, etc?

    I can't wait to make these tonight! Love all the suggestions for freezing.

    Thanks all of your amazing recipes!

    1. Whoa! I made the shells but there was a ton of filling leftover. I squished in as much as I could in each shell, but there was still so much left.

      16 oz. seemed like a lot of spinach. Did you possibly meant 10 oz?

      Can't wait for them to come out of the oven! 🙂

  35. Ok silly question when you say 8 ounces is that by weight or cup I usually go by weight when you say it.

  36. Avatar photo
    Jessica Atkins

    I made this recipe yesterday and my husband & 4 year old could not stop raving over how delicious this was, especially my 4 year old! This is definitely going on my list of regular meals, which is full of other skinnytaste recipes. My family & I love your site!

  37. I made a very similar recipe from Pinterest. I can't wait to try this healthier variation. My husband likes a little kick to his food, so I'll probably add some red pepper flakes & maybe some hot sauce to this for a little extra somethin'. The filling is pretty much the same as the other recipe I have & it was easy to take a spoon & put it in the shells. Thanks for this healthy make over!

  38. This is my second time making this recipe and I used a very helpful tip from my 16 year old son – I used my cake decorating bag with a thick nozzle to fill the shells and it worked fantastically. No mess!

  39. This was fantastic! It made soooo much! I only changed one thing. My husband swears he doesn't like ricotta cheese even tho he unknowingly eats it all the time. So I used 1 cup of ricotta cheese & half a block of fat free cream cheese. My husband & kids LOVED it! And they're hard to please! I will def be making this again!

  40. I know this might be a silly question, but I am just starting to learn how to cook and I love all the recipes that are on here but I don't know what temperature to put the oven at when it comes to baking. All of the recipes say to bake for a certain amount of time but is there a particular temperature?!?! I need help! 🙂

    1. Its in the directions…Look again

      "Preheat oven to 375°….., cover with foil and bake 40 minutes; uncover foil and bake 5 more minutes."

  41. Hi Gina,I made this last night and I have a ton of leftovers. It will be sitting in the fridge all day. What is the best way to re-heat these for tonight?

  42. This recipe was so good! I used ground beef instead of turkey, cottage cheese instead of ricotta, and fresh spinach (I wilted first). Very very good!

  43. Freezing Tip!! I have read in numerous places that you should freeze pasta dishes before you bake them, then thaw in the fridge before you bake them.

    Here's was is on the National Pasta Association website "Freezing Pasta: The best pasta shapes for freezing are those that are used in baked recipes, such as: lasagne, jumbo shells, ziti and manicotti. You'll have better results if you prepare the recipe and freeze it before baking. To bake, thaw the dish to room temperature and bake as the recipe directs."

    This recipe sounds awesome and I can't wait to make it tonight. I will be baking and eating some and freezing the rest!

  44. I used chopped up fresh spinach instead because we have a great Market here in Cleveland that sells awesome priced produce and it turned out great! 🙂

  45. For a non dairy version, one can swap the ricotta for firm tofu. I do it all the time because my husband does not process dairy well and it turns out great. Thanks for the recipe.

  46. The filling was amazing! I was a bit lazy and just used bottled pasta sauce with onion and garlic flavor. Still tasted perfect. My partner even asked for seconds 🙂

  47. I have made these many times. They are delicious. I fill all of the shells and then place them on a cookie sheet and stick them in the freezer for a few hours until the shells are individually frozen. Then I place all of the shells in a bag. I usually freeze the sauce in small 4-6 oz containers. This allows me to take a a single serving or anywhere in between. Happy cooking and eating.

  48. Avatar photo
    Life as the Mrs.

    This was amazing! I made this for dinner on Saturday night and we (there are only two of us) have had enough leftovers for a long time! 🙂 Unfortunately, my grocery store was out of Ricotta, so I substituted 4-blend Italian cheese and it came out JUST fine. Again, my husband loved this and devoured it instantly!

  49. I made this last night for some friends of mine, and everybody LOVED it. Since none of us are on WW, I didn't mind straying a little from the recipe. I used turkey Italian sausage instead of turkey and added an extra egg to the ricotta mixture, since it seemed really dry. My friends asked for the recipe so they can make it this week for themselves!

  50. Love these. I have made them twice once with meat and once without. A hit either way. Also I made a double batch and froze prior to baking. Tasted just as good as the fresh version.

  51. We made this for Christmas Eve, and it was a big hit. I used 20 ounces of spinach (two boxes), and filled 25 shells. Three shells was a nice serving size, served with mixed vegetables, a salad, and garlic bread. We'll definitely make this again. Thanks!

  52. Showed my mom this recipe and she made it for dinner last night it was amazing. Thank you for sharing all of your recipes. The points help also since I do WW

  53. Thank you for this recipe! I tried it out the other night for company… and it was AMAZING. http://eleventhfloorview.com/2011/11/02/spinach-stuffed-shells-with-meat-sauce/

  54. Another winner Gina! Flavor was awesome and my 10-year-old had some too, which is quite a compliment to you! My sauce was thicker than yours in the picture- I may use less turkey next time or more tomatoes. Loved this! And I love how you have photos of each step! Thank you! ~Amy 🙂

  55. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Hi Amy,

    I'm sorry, I don't know how it effects the points, you could plug the changes into recipe builder.

  56. Hi Gina!
    I have a question I'm hoping you can answer. It entails figuring out the math for a homemade vegan ricotta cheese, as I couldn't find any ANYWHERE. I found a recipe that is made from tofu, olive oil, garlic, and herbs. It's a large portion, and I just cannot seem to figure out how it will affect the point value of your recipe that's 9 pts. 32 oz. of the tofu plus the half cup of olive oil for the recipe is 48 pts. Your 9 pt. recipe uses 16 oz. of part skim ricotta. Seeing as that's half the vegan ricotta recipe = 24 pts. for the whole recipe. But seeing that I don't know the other individual points that make up your recipe, I'm having a hard time. I know it might be a lot of work for you to figure it out, but I am hoping it won't be since your such a pro at this. Please get back to me as soon as you have a moment, as I'm making the recipe tonight and freezing it, but I would like to eat it soon 🙂
    Thank you so much!
    Amy

  57. I made these last night, but what I've learned from a friend of mine who had made these before is that the best method to freezing these is to put them in the pan WITHOUT the sauce (so just the shells stuffed with the filling) and then freeze them. When you're ready to eat, defrost them, and then when you're ready to cook, make the sauce pour some on top, put them in the oven, cook like normal, and then top with more sauce to your preference when they're done. they come out EXCELLENT! love them!

  58. Thanks for this recipe! My three yr old was begging for more!! Would you recommend freezing extras before or after cooking? And do know of any whole wheat jumbo shells? Thanks again, Diana

  59. I made this tonight and my roommates and I really enjoyed it. Though I do agree with another comment, I felt it would be just as good without the turkey in the sauce! Filling and delicious!

  60. I was just reading a lot of people freeze the extras because it does make quiet a bit, would you recommend freezing before or after you cooked them? Can't wait to try them!

    1. I wondered the same thing.. Here's what I found on the National Pasta Association website "Freezing Pasta: The best pasta shapes for freezing are those that are used in baked recipes, such as: lasagne, jumbo shells, ziti and manicotti. You'll have better results if you prepare the recipe and freeze it before baking. To bake, thaw the dish to room temperature and bake as the recipe directs."

      I have never tried it, but I will be trying it tonight with these. I will bake some and freeze the rest! 🙂

  61. Made this last night and it was AMAZING!! I added a good bit of italian seasoning to the tomatoes for more flavor. I had a good bit of sauce left, so now I have sauce for spaghetti. I think this is my favorite recipe from you so far!!!

  62. Made these last night and they were a hit with me and my husband. I didn't use the ground turkey. Lots of flavor and very satisfying. Have lots of leftovers in the freezer for lunches.

  63. I made these tonight and LOVED THEM!!! I added shredded carrots to the spinach/ricotta filling and also added a bit of pesto from trader joe's. Thanks for the great recipe!!!

  64. These were great! My 21 month old that usually hates anything with spinach devoured these! I made extra of the sauce and glad I did. It was very good. My husband had 10 shells in one sitting.

  65. I love this recipe. I make it often for my WW daughter who lives four hours away. I make up the sauce, cool it, and put it in ice cube trays to freeze. Then I package 3 prepared shells in a baggy and drop in 3 frozen sauce cubes. She heats them in the microwave and it gives her a yummy and quick dinner.

  66. Just made this for my family and ALL 5 kids (and hubby) loved it! That's hard to pull off most days 😉 Delish!

  67. Gina the photo is amazing! it just jumps off my screen – can't wait for cool weather to try these!!

    Terri

  68. Mmmmm…love this dish. I mix turkey sausage in with the stuffing and leave the sauce meatless. Delightful! I don't count points but I can't imagine it's many more than what's listed.

  69. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    I switch it up sometimes and use marinara sauce instead as well, lowers the points and makes it meatless.

    No pasta shells in Australia?? You could use lasagna noodles and roll the stuffing in the noodle or use manicotti shells. If you can't find manicotti, I have a recipe for crespelles.

  70. Mmm, comfort food… Perfect for the cooler fall weather! My momma never used to make stuffed shells so it was always a treat whenever I would go over to my friends house for dinner because her mom made the best ones 😀

  71. Hi Gina,

    What would you suggest in place of the Jumbo Shells?? We dont have them here in Australia.

    1. If you can find manicotti tube, fresh pasta sheets (for lasagna) of just lasagna noodles.
      Super yummy!

  72. I made this tonight. I love this recipe and will be putting it in my normal rotation. Thanks for revising/reposting this one

  73. Gina, I noticed that you said this would freeze well. Any chance you could list other recipes of yours that also freeze well? Maybe a link on your "Recipes Index" page? I'm 5 weeks from the end of my second pregnancy and would like to make and freeze some meals for after baby's birth. I'm pretty sure dinner will be take-out or really boring, otherwise. Please help, if you can. Thanks.

  74. This dish was wonderful, I had all the ingredients to make it last night. I did it without the meat sauce, used your Quick Marinara sauce. Delicious!

  75. I have been making these for years! A couple of things I do differently: I don't add meat to the sauce — so it is a vegetarian dish, I also do not add an egg to the filling. These two changes saves fat and calories!

  76. Avatar photo
    Chiara "Kika" Assi

    I used to make a very similar recipe… but haven't made it in a while. Thanks for reminding me!

  77. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    I like the portabello mushroom idea, I must try that!!

    You're welcome Sarah!

    Swiss chard would be great 🙂

  78. This recipe is sheer "comfort food" but with a healthy spin! Have a lot of swiss chard in the garden; do you think I could substitute for the spinach??

  79. Love anything italian, and anything involving spinach, ricotta and tomatoes will definitely be a hit in my house. Thanks for posting this!!

  80. Made this tonight, my 10 and 11 yo gobbled it up! would be even lighter w fat free cottage cheese instead of ricotta and would not taste any different (although I used the ricotta) Loved it! New to your blog, Thank you!! it's a real find!

  81. These are also really good when you substitute Portabello mushroom caps for the pasta shells. Roast the caps in the oven @ 400 while you make everything else. Drain any liquid in the caps, spoon some sauce into caps, add cheese mixture and more sauce and return to oven until hot and bubbly.

  82. Oh, this looks fantastic! I am vegetarian, so I will be making this with your Skinnytaste Marinara Sauce Gina. I know I sound like a broken record, but I LOVE you and your recipes Gina. You rock girl!! : )

  83. Thanks for this recipe! I make an almost the same version but use the ready cook cannelloni shells. You don't have to boil them and you can stuff them when they are hard and they just cook in the oven. I freeze it in smaller portion sizes for my husband and I. When we want it, we just thaw it and book! Voila!
    Thanks Gina for the amazing recipes. I just stumbled on your site and have been telling all of my friends!!

  84. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Hey Christine, just made them over. The filling should make 4 1/3 cups, or about 68 tbsp so there should be plenty of filling.

  85. Thanks Gina! Just put them together now and can't wait to try. I did use the Barilla shells but only was able to fill 20 of them, at 2 TBSP per shell….hmmmmm. Can't wait to eat them though – they look and smell fantastic!

  86. Gina – Was wondering about the size can you used for the sauce recipe. I can get Tuttorosso in my grocery stores but only find either a 28 oz. can or 35 oz. can – not 32 oz. Which you say I should use? Should I just take 3 oz out of the 35 oz can and do that? Just want to make sure I get it right :)!! Can't wait to make this!!

  87. Avatar photo
    The Packet Queen

    Gina – I have started to try some of your recipes this week and they have all been wonderful! I just finished cleaning up after this meal and I had to leave a comment. We sat down to dinner and my hubby took a look at his plate, but didn't say anything, then he took a bite and he got this little grin on his face and says to me "Nope, this one is definitely NOT weight watchers!" I about died laughing trying to convince him that yes, it was! While he was on his second plate I asked him if he minded the spinach… "what spinach???" LOL!!

    Thanks for the awesome keeper and a fun night at the dinner table!

  88. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Good question! I'm going to re-make these next week and re-calculate, the photos are terrible! 🙂

  89. I made this for my fam (I'm a teenager, not a mom!) and it was DE-lish! We used fat free ricotta cheese (which lowered calories but not the taste!) and used san giorgio jumbo shells which made 42 shells and had plenty of stuffing. We also didn't use the turkey and each shell came out to 68 calories! Thanks so much for this amazing recipe!

  90. Made this last night and it came out really tasty! Mine were a little drier sauce-wise than yours, but that was because I only had a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes and didn't bother to open another. Still great though! I also reserved some of the shredded mozz and sprinkled it on top during the last 5 minutes of uncovered baking for that gooey deliciousness. I calculated 4 shells at 11pp+, which is perfect for dinner in my opinion!

    I'll definitely be making this again, but may put a twist on it by substituting mushrooms for the spinach and making the sauce a little spicier – arrabiata style (Trader Joe's makes a great one) for an extra kick. Thanks and can't wait to try another recipe!

  91. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Lynne, I couldn't agree with you more!! That other stuff is aweful, I would never buy it.

  92. ANOTHER hit of a recipe!! It does take some time for prep so not a recipe to use in a rush….but really worth it! Only change I made was that I made it with a jar of tomato basil pasta sauce that I had already opened so I just added a can of tomato sauce to that…..along with fresh basil! It's one of those recipes you can do that and still have it taste awesome.

    I do think the secret to the cheese mixture for the shells is to use real Parmesan or Parmesan Reggiano and not the dried stuff shaken from the can. But then I think that of any Italian recipe. 🙂

    Both my husband and son have requested I keep this recipe in the "favorites" file. THANKS GINA!!

  93. I absolutely love this recipe. It's both fun and easy. I entertained five people with this entree and still had leftovers.

  94. This is my first recipe I've made from your website and it was wonderful! I even made my fiance try it who HATES spinach and before he knew there was spinach he loved it(after not so much)! Thanks!

  95. I love, love, love this dish! I trick I learned is to NOT boil the noodles. Make it ahead of time and cover it in all the sauce. Cover, and put in the fridge while you are at work, or for at least four hours. Perfect pasta without trying to wrangle with wet, slippery noodles!

    Also, putting the cheese mixture into a baggie and snipping off a tiny piece of the corner makes filling the shells a breeze. You just stick the open corner of the baggie into the shell and squeeze.

  96. This was VERY good. I made with ground chicken breast. I used sweet basil and added 3 packets of splenda to have a little sweeter sauce for a change up. It was soooooo good. Gonna try freezing a couple serving to see how it fares…

  97. Hi Gina!!
    I made this last night and it was delish. I asked my 11 y.o son what he thought and he says, "What, what did you say mom, this is so good that I spaced out!" LOL

  98. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    It would be less, I just don't have those numbers. Plug it into recipe builder when you can.

  99. Hi Gina,
    This looks very yummy! 🙂
    Will it still be 8 pts per 3 shells if I leave out the turkey?

    Thanks.

  100. I've made this a few times and the whole family LOVES it!
    The first time I made it all of my shells broke when I boiled them so I just added them to the spinach/ricotta mix – and now we always have it this way. Sure beats stuffing shells – I'm lazy!

    I cook from your website ALL the time. Thanks for being here!

  101. I'm new to your website, and so far I love what I'm seeing and cannot wait to have a taste testing party with my friends. My only question is that I have a chunck of pecorino romano cheese, and I was wondering what would go well with it?

  102. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    I would give it to her prior to baking. Best gift to give new moms is a home cooked meal for the family! I really wished someone would have done that for me, you're a great friend!

  103. Hi Gina,

    I'm going to make this to bring to a friend who's a new mom. I'm sure she'll appreciate having something easily reheatable on hand. Would you suggest I fully cook the recipe, or give it to her prior to baking and just include the instructions for baking time/temp?

    Thank you!

  104. hi gina! could you convert this one? or add the nutritional info and i can convert it myself? i'd like to make it this week~looks delicious! thank you! 🙂

  105. Great recipe and I made the entire thing for me and my son and then put it in freezable containers by portion. When I want this pasta I take the dish out of the freezer the night before and when I get home I pop it right in the microwave to reheat, DELISH!!!! Add a salad for a 5 min dinner!

  106. These have to be the best tasting pasta dish I've ever had. I ate them for dinner all week long and never got tired of them! Haha. I was very sad when the aluminum foil started melting onto the shells and I had to throw out about 1/4 of all that I made. Either way, these will be a regular occurrence in this household!

  107. This was delicious and very hearty. Two men in the household enjoyed it as well. I got 33 shells. Will make again!

  108. I just made these and they look great. I didn't do the sauce from this recipe since I had come left over from your turkey meatball recipe from last week, so I'll use that. After all the broken shells, I got 27 shells, and used all the filling, and they don't quite look as full as yours (I also used barila). When I did out just the shell recipe on WW's recipe builder (using 27 shells) it comes out to 2 points for each shell (still amazing!) and then i'll do one point for half a cup of the sauce. Thanks for an amazing recipe!

  109. I made this last night for my husband and it was DELICIOUS!!! Thank you so much for the recipe, Gina! You're a life saver!!

  110. Made this for dinner tonight and OMG it was so delicious!!! My husband and 3 year old LOVED them. I ended up with 25 as well, but my shells were pretty full. Can't wait to make the Chicken Francese tomorrow! You have regenerated my WW journey!! THANKS

  111. This recipe is FABULOUS. I have made it with and without the meat. I also froze them in individual portions after baking. Truly satisfies my craving for Italian!

    Thanks Gina! You are awesome!

  112. The filling comes out to 5.75 cups, or 92 tablespoons. If you have 35 shells, then you should fill each with 2.6 tablespoons to have enough for each. It's possible a few broke when I photographed these, can't remember but this will give you a more accurate measurement. Also, it's possible different brands may be sized differently.

  113. I just wanted to pass on to those of you who are making this without meat: If you omit the turkey and do 10 servings this is 5.25 points/serving. I'm making it tonight. Thanks, Gina!

  114. I just found your website and this recipe while searching for WW recipes. I made it tonight and it was a huge hit! I was shocked that it was so low in points and so full of flavor! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

  115. Can anyone tell me if they should be frozen before baked, or after? Any advice for reheating? I am as beginner of a cook as you can get… And on my first week of ww… Can't wait to make this tomorrow!

  116. These stuffed shells are awesome! Thank you for sharing so many delicious and WW friendly recipes with the world! ~Julie

  117. I made these tonight and they were sure a hit! And yes 3 shells is plenty. I had to put it in my "make it again" WW recipes.

  118. I have this in the oven right now. Smells delish. Although, I didn't have enough filling for all the shells either–it made about 25. Maybe my shells were bigger than yours??

  119. I made this tonight and it didn't seem like it made enough filling…my shells definitely didn't look as full as yours! It was good though…

  120. I'll have to figure it out. I'm not sure off the top of my head. I'll try to get back to you tomorrow on that.

  121. I made this and loved it, but I was wondering if you have the points value for just the sauce. I loved the sauce by itself and am going to serve it over spagetti noodles. Thanks.

  122. This is a great recipe for sneaking spinach into your kids' diet. They don't even notice it! This is a winner in my house too.

  123. Made this last night and it was a HUGE success in my house. The kids loved it and my picky eater did not even complain about the spinach in it – he gobbled it right up! This will be a staple in our house!

  124. wow! what a great sight- everything looks delicous! Congratulations on your new baby girl. She is beautiful

  125. I just fed two picky men-folk with this recipe and both went back for seconds (so did I). Way to go, Gina!

  126. Yay, I was hoping someone actually frooze them and tasted them afterwards! Def, gonna try! [Printing recipe now] 🙂

  127. Yummy! Yummy Yummy! I can't believe this is a WW recipe. It was do delicious. I used lean ground beef instead (i wonder if it affected the points value of the dish).Very good.

  128. I LOVE this meal and so does DH!! He actually requested it this weekend! I found the recipe very easy to follow. I did use FF cottage cheese instead of ricotta (b/c I don’t like ricotta) and I used a jar sauce instead of making my own but it was delish. Three shells may not sound like a lot but they are actually quite filling. This recipe made plenty for leftovers, which I think tasted even better after sitting in the fridge overnight! Thanks again!!

  129. Wow, this is delicious! Wonderful flavor. Will be a definite repeat recipe in my kitchen. I did freeze 1/2 the batch. If I didn’t have weigh in tomorrow, I would of eaten more than three. Thank you for sharing another great recipe! Carrie

  130. I made this for dinner last night. It was so delicious! I did use the turkey and it was yummy. But, I don’t think the recipe needs it (and I’m not much of a meat eater, anyway). So, next time I make these shells (and believe me, there will be a next time!) I will probably leave out the meat. Simply to cut down on the calories (in other words, so I can eat more shells!). Thanks for the awesome recipe.

  131. Those seem so much more “cheat” like than just 6 points. Wow. I have some FF ricotta in the fridge. Think this is what I’ll be making over the weekend! Yum!

  132. Avatar photo
    Miss(es) Canadian Pie

    I am so excited to have just found your blog!!!!! I began WW almost 4 weeks ago and have been really struggeling finding good recipes. My mouth is drooling and my mind is going crazy with all the goodies I see here. So excited!!

  133. Avatar photo
    alwayswinner786

    Nominated your blog for Lemonade Award .For detail info give a visit to my blog.
    Happy blogging.

  134. I’m sure freezing them in portions would work, it’s actually a great idea for making your own frozen meals. Let me know how it works out. I’m having leftovers tonight!

  135. Avatar photo
    Cathy - wheresmydamnanswer

    This is always a hit in my house when I make it. I make it naked without meat but I must say I love the idea of adding turkey meat to it!!

  136. I wonder if you could freeze this before the baking stage. Two person family – this would make way too much, but would be perfect to make ahead and freeze in portions for later.

  137. Oh, these look so good! I’m printing this off now, so I can put it on my menu plan for next week! Do you think they would freeze well?