Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box (12 oz) jumbo pasta shells
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 (24 oz) jars marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta shells in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, drain, and rinse with cold water.
- In a skillet, brown ground turkey, add garlic, and stir in thawed spinach.
- Mix cooked turkey and spinach with ricotta, Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper.
- Spread one jar of marinara sauce in a baking dish, stuff the shells with the mixture, and arrange them in the dish.
- Pour remaining marinara sauce over the shells, sprinkle mozzarella cheese, cover with foil, and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbly.
Notes
- To prevent sticking, toss drained pasta shells with olive oil.
- Squeeze out all excess water from thawed spinach for better filling consistency.
- Substitute ground chicken or Italian sausage for variety.
- For richer flavor, mix ricotta with mascarpone cheese.
- Add red pepper flakes to the filling for extra heat.
- Prepare ahead and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Gluten-Free (if using gluten-free pasta)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed shell
- Calories: 475 Kcal
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 100mg