Delicious Stuffed Shells with cottage cheese are protein-packed, vegetarian, and the perfect dinner for comfort food lovers!
Stuffed Shells with Cottage Cheese
If you’re searching for a comforting yet nutritious dinner that checks all the boxes—high in protein, meat-free, and absolutely delicious—look no further than jumbo Cottage Cheese Stuffed Shells. This recipe is a perfect twist on the classic ricotta-filled pasta dish, swapping in creamy cottage cheese for a high-protein, lighter option that still delivers on flavor. I even snuck in some spinach, which works so well. If you want a high-protein lasagna, try my cottage cheese lasagna rolls or my high-protein meat lasagna recipe. They’re so good!
Why This Stuffed Shells Recipe Works
I used to turn my nose up when people told me they were making Italian dishes with cottage cheese. But cottage cheese brands have come a long way! Brands like Good Culture or Nancy’s taste so good that my daughter actually prefers it to ricotta.
- Protein Boost: Thanks to cottage cheese, this dish is packed with protein, making it satisfying and perfect for a meat-free dinner.
- Easy Prep: It’s simple to make, even on a weeknight. Stuffing the shells can be a fun activity to do with kids.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Whether you’re serving picky eaters or entertaining friends, these stuffed shells are sure to impress.
- Leftovers taste great the next day, or you can freeze them for another day.
- Dietary Restrictions: Weight Watchers-friendly, vegetarian, gluten-free (if using GF pasta), high-protein
If you make this easy cottage cheese stuffed shells recipe, I would love to see it. Tag me in your photos or videos on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook!
Why Cottage Cheese?
Cottage cheese isn’t just a diet trend; it’s a powerhouse of protein, making it an excellent choice for vegetarian dishes. Its mild flavor pairs beautifully with Italian herbs, tangy marinara sauce, and the natural sweetness of pasta shells. Plus, its creamy texture mimics ricotta, creating a dish that feels indulgent while being healthier.
Can you substitute ricotta for cottage cheese in recipes?
Absolutely, it actually works quite well in this recipe, I also did this in my lasagna recipe and cottage cheese lasagna roll ups, with great reviews!
Ingredients
These cheesy stuffed shells use 3 different types of cheese, creating a rich and creamy filling that’s perfect for a comforting dinner. See the recipe card for the exact measurements.
- Jumbo Pasta Shells are perfect for stuffing with cottage cheese and spinach.
- Spinach for extra vitamin C and fiber
- Cottage Cheese has more protein and less fat than ricotta cheese.
- Parmesan Cheese for extra cheesiness and flavor
- Pesto is an easy way to add flavor with only 1 ingredient. Buy it at the store or follow my homemade basil pesto recipe.
- Egg binds the stuffed shell filling so it doesn’t ooze out.
- Salt for seasoning
- Marinara: If you want to make your own, try my quick marinara recipe.
- Mozzarella: Top each shell with mozzarella.
- Herbs: Garnish with fresh basil or parsley.
How to Make Stuffed Shells
Here’s how to make these simple cottage cheese stuffed shells. The recipe card below contains the printable instructions.
- Steam the Spinach in a large pot with a little water. Once wilted, transfer to a strainer, squeeze out the excess water, and chop the spinach.
- Cook the Pasta Shells in a large pot of salted, boiling water according to package directions. Drain and place on a plate or cutting board to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
- Cottage Cheese and Spinach Filling: Combine the cottage cheese, parmesan, pesto, egg, and salt. Mix in the spinach.
- Stuff the Shells: Spoon a cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Stuff each shell with the cheese mixture and place in the dish, cut side up. Ladle the remaining sauce over the shells and top with mozzarella.
- Bake: Cover the dish foil and bake at 400°F for 40 minutes. Garnish with herbs and serve with extra red sauce if desired.
Stuffed Shells Variations
- Veggies: Replace spinach with grated zucchini, squeezed well.
- Gluten-Free Option: Use gluten-free pasta shells, such as Tinkyada shells.
- Cheese: Swap cottage cheese for ricotta cheese (I love Polly-o), if desired. You can also swap Parmesan cheese with Pecorino Romano.
- Spice it Up: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or some minced garlic to the filling for an extra kick.
- Meat Lovers: Replace the marinara sauce with meat sauce.
Serving Suggestion
Serve these healthy stuffed shells with roasted veggies or a simple green salad for a balanced meal. Want to make it extra hearty? Pair them with garlic knots.
Storage
- Refrigerate leftovers for 5 days. To reheat, microwave until warm.
- Freeze the entire dish: Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap, then foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, thaw it in the fridge overnight and bake as directed.
More Baked Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
- Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce
- Baked Beef and Cheese Manicotti
- Baked Ziti with Spinach
- Baked Pasta with Sausage and Spinach
- Healthy Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Stuffed Shells Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 20 jumbo pasta shells, or use gluten-free pasta shells, such as Tinkyada shells.
- 4 ounces fresh baby spinach, 2 packed cups chopped
- 16 ounces 2% cottage cheese, I like Good Culture, drained 2 cups*
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons pesto, prepared or homemade
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
- 2 ¼ cups marinara sauce, homemade or jarred, plus more for serving
- 1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the spinach in a large pot with 3 tablespoons of water, cover and let the spinach steam for 1 minute, stirring, until the spinach is wilted. Transfer to a strainer and squeeze out the excess water and chop the spinach.
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta shells according to package directions, 9 to 10 minutes. Drain and keep them separate to prevent them from sticking together.
- Meanwhile, while the noodles cook, in a large bowl combine cottage cheese, Parmesan, pesto, egg and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix in the spinach and mix well.
- Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the filling and place in the dish, cut side up. Ladle the remaining sauce over the shells and top each one with 1 tablespoon mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil without touching the cheese and bake for 40 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with more marinara on the side, if desired.
I made this recipe for the first time two weeks ago, and have already made it a second time. It is a fairly hands-on recipe, but it’s worth it!
The second time we made it, we accidentally ordered a really big bag of spinach, so we doubled the amount the recipe called for, which I really liked.
It also makes a ton & we’re only a two-person household, so we’ve been experimenting with freezing leftovers in single-serve portions for easy lunches (or dinners on lazy/rushed days), and these do well frozen & then reheated!
Absolutely delicious! Made a double batch of the homemade marinara too ~ a real game changer! This recipe is now a ‘family favorite. ‘
We used Raos sauce and it was delicious!
The cottage cheese mix was definitely the winner for this dish. I don’t know if jumbo pasta shells are much smaller in AU, however I needed to approach this recipe more lasagna construction style. Stuffing individual shells was too hard as they weren’t big enough. Very yum. I always like adding eggplant and/or zucchini. I didn’t this time but interested in variations.
Thank you for the recipes.
Can you put chopped uncooked spinach in the filling instead of steaming it first?
Sure.
Excellent recipe!!
I love this recipe so much!! This was the first recipe that I have used cottage cheese instead of ricotta. It’s 10/10 for me! It’s so easy. Gives me time to clean up the kitchen while the food is in the oven!
Easy and delicious! Thank you.
My grandkids devoured this and asked for more. There were NO leftovers at all. Only thing I did different is blended the fat free cottage cheese to make it smoother. So good!
Do you this you could cook these in a slow cooker? Has anyone tried this or know how long you would cook for? I need to find a recipe I can have cooking while I’m out! Thanks!
Granddaughters have egg allergy—can I skip the egg (like your lasagna recipe)?
Yes, you can skip the egg in these stuffed shells! The egg just helps bind the cheese filling, but it will still bake up creamy and delicious without it—just like in my lasagna recipe. A little extra cheese (like Parmesan) can also help if you want the filling a bit firmer.
Easy recipe and is a crowd pleaser. I also add a pound of ground turkey to the mix to stretch the mixture extra but made as directed too and both are good!
Is there a substitute for the pesto, i unfortunately have a tree nut allergy?
The pesto recipe does not contain any nuts.
I made this last night and it was so easy and turned out great!! My husband loved it too!
Can frozen spinach option with appropriate measurements be added
You’d never know this was cottage cheese. My family ate every bite. I would maybe do more spinach next time but other than that no suggestions!
This is so good. I generally don’t like cottage cheese but I loved it in this recipe. I doubled it and made it for a crowd and had tons of compliments.
great!!
Has anyone mixed the ricotta with the cottage cheese and blended it together?
Yes I did this 50/50 with low fat ricotta and it turned out great
Thank you, I’m going to do the same thing!
This is delicious! I added some shredded chicken breast to the filling.
Made these last night and they were a hit – love the high protein ideas! This was perfect on a cold, dark and dreary night when we wanted some comfort food without the excess
Can this be made ahead of time and baked later?
fantastic recipe. second time making it, I’m just thrilled to enjoy stuffed shells knowing it’s chock full of protein. Made once using jarred Rao’s, a second time using homemade marinara with the Serious Eats recipe. we couldn’t stop snacking on these the day after. for me, I used closer to 30 jumbo shells to use up the filling. I puree the cottage cheese for a smoother texture.
This was a huge hit with all three of my kids which never happens! So delicious and even better as leftovers. Make this!
Love kid approval!
What a great way to enjoy one of my favorites while reaching my protein goal for the day. This was fantastic, and the pesto really did make a huge difference.
We tried this today and it was GREAT! My whole family loved it.
Perfect!
Very tasty. A little messy to prepare but worth it.
glad you enjoyed it
My family really enjoyed this. I halved the recipe (small family and didn’t have a place for leftovers with Christmas around the corner) but kept the same amount of sauce, delicious. Agree with the other comments that the pesto really put this a level up from other stuffed shell recipes. Will definitely will be making this again!
I loved this. pesto was a great addition. spray the underside of the foil with pan spray before putting it over top of the dish to make sure it doesn’t stick to the cheese.
The pesto folded into the cheese mixture hit this recipe out of the park! Absolutely delicious!
Thank you!
Absolutely fantastic recipe. I used ricotta instead of cottage cheese. Definitely putting this on my rotation. Everyone at my house loved it.
This meal was amazing. Filling and satisfying. The addition of the pesto made all the difference. I did not change a thing. This would be terrific with a site salad.
High protein, easy receipt to follow even for a novice like me. My wife went for seconds so that’s a win.
So happy!
I have made jumbo pasta shells but never your recipe. I’ll be making your recipe again and love the pesto.
This was a very good recipe.. even the husband liked it. I didnt have pesto, so I just added some Mrs Dash Onion and herbs seasoning to the filling. Very good, I will be making it again when I get some pesto
GREAT!!
Pro tip: Put your cheese mixture in a piping bag to make it easier to stuff the shells.
Delicioso
Stuffed Shells with cottage cheese are a cozy, vegetarian dinner treat!