Pesto Whipped Ricotta Stuffed Shells Recipe
This Pesto Whipped Ricotta Stuffed Shells Recipe will have your family coming back for more. Plus, it’s a great way to sneak extra veggies into your family’s diet.
If you love this recipe try my One Pan Creamy Pesto Chicken or my Creamy Baked Pesto Pasta with Chicken Meatballs.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is a fun and flavorful twist on traditional ricotta stuffed shells.
- It’s a great way to sneak extra veggies into your family’s diet.
- Kids love the fun green color making mealtime exciting and healthy.
- To keep things easy, I used Delallo Food’s Simply Pesto jarred pesto sauce. Their traditional basil pesto sauce bright and flavorful. It has a slightly nutty flavor with a punch of fresh basil. All rounded out with iconic of parmesan and Romano cheeses. It’s truly the best jarred pesto I’ve ever tried.
This post was sponsored by Delallo Foods. While I was compensated for my time, all opinions are my own.
Recipe Ingredients
Pesto Sauce Ingredients
- Avocado Oil – Used to sauté the diced onion and garlic. Option to use olive oil instead.
- Onion – This recipe calls for ¾ cup diced onion. Yellow or sweet onions work best.
- Garlic – This recipe calls for freshly minced garlic. Roughly 2-3 cloves.
- Seasoning – Season the sautéed onions and garlic with cracked black pepper.
- Broth – Deglaze the pan with low sodium chicken broth. Option to use low sodium vegetable broth instead.
- Heavy Cream – This recipe calls for heavy cream. For a thinner sauce, you can use half and half but I recommend using the heavy cream.
- Pesto – This recipe calls for Delallo’s Simply Pesto traditional basil jarred pesto sauce. This pesto is well seasoned so be careful not too over season the sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese – Add the grated parmesan cheese to the sauce and whisk until fully melted and combined.
Stuffed Shells and Filling
- Pasta – You’ll need jumbo pasta shells for this recipe. Cook according to the package. Al dente is best. Drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Spinach – You’ll need baby spinach for this recipe. Option to use frozen but make sure it’s fully thawed, and any excess moisture is pressed out.
- Ricotta Cheese – This recipe calls for whole milk ricotta cheese. Remove as much moisture as possible. Option to use a mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
- Mozzarella Cheese – You’ll need shredded mozzarella cheese for the filling and to sprinkle over the pasta before baking.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – You’ll need grated parmesan cheese for the filling as well.
- Egg – this recipe calls for one large egg.
- Seasoning – Season the filling with a pinch of kosher salt and a few turns of cracked black pepper. DO NOT add too much salt. The pesto and parmesan cheese are already well seasoned.
- Parsley – Garnish the dish with freshly chopped parsley.
Variations
- Option to use chopped wilted spinach versus whipping it. Be sure to squeeze out any excess moisture from the wilted spinach before chopping and folding it into the ricotta mixture.
- If you’re not a fan of pesto sauce you can use Delallo’s marinara sauce instead.
How to Make Pesto Whipped Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Boil the Pasta
Step 1: Boil a pot of water and season it with kosher salt. Cook the pasta according to the package. Al dente is best. Drain off the water and drizzle the pasta with oil to prevent sticking.
Step 2: Saute finely diced onion and minced garlic in a pan with avocado oil. Season with cracked black pepper.
Step 3: Add the low sodium chicken broth, let it reduce then add the heavy cream and pesto.
Step 4: Add the parmesan cheese. Whisk until well combined.
Step 5: Allow the sauce to simmer over medium low heat until it reaches your desired thickness.
Step 6: Add baby spinach to a hot pan sprayed with avocado oil.
Step 7: Saute the baby spinach until soft. Let it cool.
Step 8: Add the drained ricotta cheese and wilted / cooled spinach to a blender.
Step 9: Buzz until smooth and creamy.
Step 10: Squeeze out excess moisture from the ricotta cheese spinach mixture using a cheesecloth.
Step 11: Add to a bowl and combine with parmesan, mozzarella, egg and pepper.
Step 12: Mix the filling well.
Step 13: Add pesto cream to the bottom of an 8×8 ceramic baking dish.
Step 14: Stuff the shells and line the pan. You can fit 15 stuffed shells.
Step 15: Top with shredded mozzarella cheese, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Expert Tips for this Stuffed Shell Recipe
- Cook the pasta al dente as it will continue cooking the oven.
- Use a ceramic baking dish. Ceramic baking dishes hold up better when broiling. Glass baking dishes are known to break or crack under the broiler.
- Ricotta cheese is known to release moisture as it bakes. So, to prevent your shells from being runny, make sure to use the cheesecloth to squeeze out excess moisture from the spinach ricotta mixture before adding the other ingredients to the filling.
- Be careful not to add a lot of salt to the filling. Both the pesto and parmesan cheese have a lot of salt already. Also, it is best to use low sodium chicken broth.
- Boil a few extra jumbo shells incase one of them breaks in half during cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try my Zucchini Salad, Ultimate Caesar Salad, or my Butter Lettuce Salad Recipe.
Yes! It acts as a binder helping hold the cheeses together.
Yes! Get out as much moisture as possible before mixing your filling. Ricotta cheese has the tendency to release water as it bakes. To prevent runny shells, remove as much moisture as possible. Option to use a cheesecloth or let the cheese rest in a mesh strainer for 15-20 minutes before mixing.
Other Pesto Recipes You Might Consider Trying
If you tried these Pesto Whipped Ricotta Stuffed Shells Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Pesto Whipped Ricotta Stuffed Shells Recipe
Equipment
- 1 8×8-inch ceramic baking dish
- 1 cheesecloth
- 1 pasta pot with colander
- 1 saute pan
Ingredients
Creamy Pesto Sauce
- 1.5 tablespoons avocado oil
- ¾ cup onions, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced, about 2-3 cloves
- few turns cracked black pepper
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons pesto, Delallo brand, mix well
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
Shells and Filling
- 15 jumbo shells, cooked al dente
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta, pour off excess liquid or strain with cheesecloth
- 5 ounces baby spinach, wilted in a pan and strain of excess liquid
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella, plus more to sprinkle over the top before baking
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- few turns cracked black pepper, to season
- pinch kosher salt, to LIGHTLY season
Instructions
How to Make Pesto Whipped Ricotta Stuffed Shells
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Boil the Pasta
- Boil a pot of water and season it with kosher salt. Cook the pasta according to the package. Al dente is best. Drain off the water and drizzle the pasta with oil to prevent sticking.
Make the Sauce
- Place a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the avocado oil. Once hot add the diced onions and minced garlic sauté until tender. Season with cracked black pepper.Deglaze the pan with low sodium chicken broth. Let the broth reduce by ¼ then add the heavy cream and pesto. Mix well. Next, add the parmesan cheese. Whisk until well combined. Let the sauce simmer over medium low heat until it reduces to your desired thickness. Stirring frequently.
Mix the Filling
- Wilt the spinach in a hot pan lightly sprayed with avocado oil. Remove the heat and let it cool completely.Add the ricotta cheese and wilted spinach to a food processor. Buzz until smooth. Add the mixture to a cheesecloth and gently squeeze out any excess moisture.
- Add the strained cheese and spinach mixture to a mixing bowl. Add the shredded mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, and cracked black pepper. Option to add a pinch of kosher salt. Do not add too much salt. Mix until well combined.
Assemble and Bake
- Add a layer of the sauce to the bottom of an 8×8-inch ceramic baking dish. Stuff the shells with the ricotta spinach filling. Place them in the baking dish. Top with extra sauce and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and broil for 2-3 minutes so the cheese gets bubbly. Finish with freshly chopped parsley and serve hot.
