Spinach Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce (2024)

FAQs

What temperature do I bake stuffed shells at? ›

Divided evenly, the filling should be enough for 18-20 shells. Next, bake. Spread 2 cups of marinara sauce at the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Nestle in the shells, cover the dish with foil, and bake for 20 minutes at 425°F.

What is manicotti vs stuffed shells? Both are pasta dishes that involve stuffing pasta with a ricotta cheese filling and baking with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. The big difference is the type of pasta that is used. Manicotti uses tube shaped pasta and stuffed shells are made with jumbo pasta shells.

There are usually around 40 to 46 shells in a 12 oz box of jumbo shells. It's good to have more than this recipe calls for (36) because some shells rip or are broken.

Cover the bottom of a baking pan with spaghetti sauce Place frozen stuffed shells on the sauce, then cover generously with the remainder of the sauce. Sprinkle generously with grated romano cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Making in Advance and Refrigerating

To store this (uncooked) stuffed shell recipe in the refrigerator, prepare according to recipe instructions then cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or foil. You may refrigerate for up to three days before baking according to recipe instructions.

Stuffed shells can get watery for a few different reasons. One reason could be that the shells were not cooked long enough and they released water while cooking. Another reason could be that the filling was too wet, which made the shells soggy.

You should only be cooking the shells to al dente to start! Once your shells have reached this point, drain the hot water from the pot and replace it with cold water. This stops the shells from cooking any further than you want them to and also ensures that they won't stick together upon serving.

To reheat non-casserole baked pasta dishes, such as stuffed jumbo shells, place the shells in an oven-safe dish, cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 375 degrees until the shells' internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

The pasta called conchiglioni, usually marketed as “jumbo shells” here in the US, are filled with a ricotta cream enriched with mozzarella, napped with a simple marinara sauce and topped with a generous sprinkling of Parmesan before being baked in a hot oven.

What are the jumbo pasta shells called? ›

Conchiglie is a pasta variety that is shaped like a conch shell. The smallest shell shape is called conchigliette and the largest shell shape is called conchiglioni.

Manicotti may also be called “cannelloni.” “Cannelloni” derives from the word for “cane.” The Italian ending “oni,” means something big or fat. So, “cannelloni” are fat, stuffed canes.

Depending on the pasta's shape, usually 4 cups of dry pasta is equal to 1 pound of pasta.

For tomato-based sauces, a good rule of thumb to follow is to use one jar of 24-ounce pasta sauce for every 16-ounce package of pasta. When calculating how much sauce for pasta per person, generally about 2 to 4 ounces (1/4 to 1/2 cup) of sauce for each 2 ounce (about 1 cup cooked) serving of pasta would be needed.

How much pasta is in a portion? A single serving size of pasta is typically about 2 ounces of dry pasta—amounting to about a cup of cooked pasta.

The stuffed meat, poultry, or stuffing in a casserole should be placed immediately after preparation in an oven set no lower than 325 °F. A food thermometer should be used to ensure that the stuffing reaches the safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.

Preheat the oven between 450 and 500 degrees F (250 to 260 degrees C) — the stone needs heat up while the oven heats. Large, thick-crusted pizzas might need an oven temperature closer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) so the crust can cook completely before the toppings burn.

To reheat non-casserole baked pasta dishes, such as stuffed jumbo shells, place the shells in an oven-safe dish, cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 375 degrees until the shells' internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

The shells are oven-safe up to 500 degrees F and create a vessel for the scallops, butter, and other ingredients you want to use. It's like the scallops are sitting in their own pool of buttery goodness! If you have never tried scallops before, this is the route I recommend trying for your first time!