Italian-American · main

Baked Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta

Baked Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta reads umami 7.0, richness 6.3 and salinity 4.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 55 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.9 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.3 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.4 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.9 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.1 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.0 · Richness 6.3 · Salinity 4.7 · Herbaceous 3.5 · Allium 3.2 · Sweetness 2.6 · Marine & Briny 2.5 · Funk & Ferment 2.2 · Nutty 2.0 · Warm Spice 2.0 · Sourness 2.0 · Heat 1.6 · Floral 1.6 · Bitterness 1.2 · Citrus 1.1 · Earthy 1.1 · Fruity 1.0

What's in it (14)

• jumbo shrimp — 6804 g
• salt — 30 g
• frozen spinach — 284 g
• fresh ricotta — 425 g
• shredded mozzarella — 227 g
• parmesan cheese — 114 g
• egg — 100 g
• garlic — 9 g
• freshly ground nutmeg — 1 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• marinara sauce — 680 g
• olive oil — 27 g
• red chili flakes — 3 g
• basil — 7 g

Time & effort: about 55 min (50 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 113.7 kcal, 14.4 g protein, 3.6 g fat, 6 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Squeeze the thawed spinach hard in a clean kitchen towel until no more water comes out (you want it truly dry, not just drained), then finely chop.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the spinach, ricotta, 3/4 of the mozzarella, 3/4 of the Parmesan, the egg, garlic, nutmeg, black pepper, and 1 tsp of the kosher salt until smooth and evenly combined; set the filling aside.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the remaining kosher salt. Cook the pasta shells until pliable but still firm at the core, 8-9 minutes (about 2 minutes shy of the package time) — they will finish cooking in the oven.
4. Drain the shells and spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet; drizzle with the olive oil and toss gently so they don't stick together while you fill them.
5. Spread half the marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Stir the red pepper flakes into the remaining marinara and set it aside.
6. Fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture and arrange filled-side up over the sauce in the dish.
7. Spoon the remaining marinara over the shells, leaving some of the filling peeking through, then scatter the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan on top.
8. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the shells are heated through, 25 minutes.
9. Uncover and bake until the cheese is melted and golden in spots, 10-12 minutes more.
10. Let rest 5 minutes, scatter with fresh basil, and serve.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Spinach and Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells — Italian-American
• Zucchini and Ricotta Stuffed Shells — Italian-American
• Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells — Italian
• Three-Cheese Stuffed Shells with Marinara — Italian-American
• Mirliton and Shrimp Casserole — Cajun/Creole

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.