Baked Stuffed Shells with Mascarpone and Spinach
Sneak Preview: Mascarpone cheese transforms classic stuffed shells into something creamier and richer than the usual ricotta version. Filled with spinach, mushrooms, and mozzarella, these shells bake up golden and satisfying in about 1 hour and 15 minutes, with freezer-friendly make-ahead flexibility.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
For a while, no-meat or meatless Mondays were popular. Arbitrary rules like that don’t work for me, but I do enjoy a good meatless meal now and then. If you’re in the mood for something rich and satisfying without meat, these stuffed shells fit the bill.
The only real challenge is finding the ingredients. Jumbo shells can be tricky to track down, but I usually find them at Kroger—or order them online. Mascarpone cheese is another key player; look in the deli section rather than with the shredded cheeses.
Once you’ve got everything, the rest is straightforward: cook the shells, mix the filling, stuff, and bake until bubbly and golden.
Ingredients & Substitutions
JUMBO SHELLS: Substitute manicotti. Different look, similar taste.
BUTTER: Sub margarine or vegetable oil.
MUSHROOMS: Fresh mushrooms recommended.
SPINACH: Substitute a 10-ounce package of frozen spinach if you don’t have fresh. Cook as directed and squeeze the water out completely.
GARLIC: Fresh garlic = the most flavor. Bottled garlic is another choice.
RICOTTA CHEESE: Cottage cheese is a common replacement for ricotta. Make ricotta yourself if you enjoy such things.
MASCARPONE CHEESE: Mascarpone makes this recipe special. Sub Crème Fraîche or use cream cheese mixed with a bit of sour cream.
PARMESAN CHEESE: Substitute Romano cheese.
MOZZARELLA CHEESE: Essential for binding the filling.
MARINARA OR SPAGHETTI SAUCE: Your favorite bottled sauce or homemade.
Shareworthy Twists
- Add cooked chicken, Italian sausage, or ground beef for extra protein.
- Skip the vegetables and turn this into Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells.
- Swap in a lighter or cream-based sauce to change the flavor profile.
Tips That Make a Difference
•Use gloves for stuffing: Surgical or disposable gloves make filling the shells faster and less messy—especially with a soft, cheesy filling.
•Undercook the shells slightly: Boil jumbo shells 1–2 minutes less than the package directions so they don’t tear while stuffing.
•Shred cheese yourself: Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents; freshly grated cheese melts more smoothly and evenly.
Baked Stuffed Shells with Mascarpone and Spinach
Ingredients
- ½ box (225 g) jumbo shells
- ½ tablespoon (7 g) butter
- 4 ounces (113 g) fresh mushrooms chopped
- 6 ounces (170 g) fresh baby spinach small bag
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1⅓ cup (330 g) ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces (226 g) Mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup (100 g) Parmigiano Reggiano cheese shredded and divided
- 8 ounces (226 g) Mozzarella cheese shredded and divided
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 24-ounce (28 g) jar marinara or spaghetti sauce
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) water
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Boil jumbo shells for 9 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Drain and spread them on a baking sheet to cool.
- Sauté the Vegetables: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until browned. Transfer to a bowl. In the same skillet, add spinach and garlic. Sauté until wilted. Drain well, pressing out excess moisture, then chop and mix with mushrooms.
- Prepare the Filling: In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, mascarpone, half of the Parmesan, and half of the Mozzarella. Stir in the spinach-mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stuff the Shells: Fill each cooked shell with the cheese mixture.
- Assemble the Dish:Add 2 tablespoons of water to half of the marinara sauce and spread it on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange stuffed shells on top, open side up. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells. Sprinkle the remaining Mozzarella and Parmesan over the top.
- Bake: Cover with foil and bake at 400°F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Notes
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
Final Thoughts
If you love creamy, cheesy pasta, this dish is a must-try! It’s indulgent yet simple, perfect for meal prep, and endlessly customizable. Looking for an easier-to-source alternative? Try my Scooter’s Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese with many of the same comforting flavors, but simpler ingredients!
— Paula, Home Economist
Homemade Food Worth Sharing
Need help troubleshooting?
Email me: Paula at saladinajar.com — photos help!
I love this recipe. I have made it several times. I add a 2 ounce bag of pine nuts to the ricotta and spinach mixture. It gives it a nice, unexpected crunch. Thanks for all of your great recipes.
I’m so glad you wrote, Patti. Gotta try your idea with the pine nuts. Genius! Thank you for your kind words. Have a great week.
I can say this was spectacular! It made enough for me to offer some to my mother in law and a few for leftovers on this back to school night!!! And I’m *very* excited about your next post about ricotta cheese from yogurt whey!! Since I saved mine from the last batch earlier this week!
Watch for ricotta cheese this weekend.
This recipe is just too amazing! Flavours we all love with a more simplistic take. Thanks for sharing!!
-Shannon
These are on the menu for next week. I’ll definitely be adding Sweet Italian Sausage since my husband pouts when I give him meatless dinners. =)
This would be perfect for a dinner party! I’ll definitely have to try it. Thanks!
Sandy,
I agree. This dish is company-worthy and fairly rich so you wouldn’t want to be eating it every day. 🙂
I made these tonight, and you were right, I had to go to two stores before I could find the shells…I doubled the recipe bc I only have 8×11 dish pans and I wanted to freeze some for later (not realizing how much this made…we got through half a pan with a family of 5)… anyway, I inadvertently used only one 8 oz mascarpone for both batches combined…but it still came out DELICIOUS!! Thanks again for posting such yummy thungs! I have a hard time trusting cookbooks, but I know when I pick something off of your aite to make, it’s going to be awesome! Thanks again!
OMG! This looks delish! I’m going to the store later, so this will definitely be on my grocery list! Thanks!
Paul: I love stuffed shells and this looks delicious! Great recipe as is or as a springboard for adding more “stuff” (couldn’t resist the pun) such as sausage. As always…beautiful pics.
My husband would love these just as they are and I would love them stuffed with bits of chicken. Great that this is freezable! Perfect for taking to a friend/neighbour in need 🙂
Looks tasty! Have you tried making your own mascarpone? It’s on our list to try because its so expensive. I’m looking forward to your post on ricotta from whey. We’ve tried making ricotta from the whey left after making mozzarella without much success.
Hey Gina,
Haven’t tried making mascarpone. I don’t need to be eating this stuff very often so the price is worth the occasional treat. Also haven’t tried making Mozzarella. Would love to try yours.
I used my mom’s Matfer strainer making mozzarella earlier this week, and finally decided to break down and get one. Ordered it tonight and will have it by Tuesday. I tried straining my yogurt a couple of weeks ago to see if I liked it better, and it was really good. Thanks for all the good advice!