Festive Christmas Stuffed Pasta (Printable View)
Jumbo shells of ricotta and spinach with cranberries, baked in tomato sauce for a festive holiday centerpiece.
# Ingredient List:
→ Pasta & Filling
01 - 20 jumbo pasta shells
02 - 2 cups ricotta cheese
03 - 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
04 - 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - 1 garlic clove, minced
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
→ Sauce
12 - 2 cups tomato passata or marinara sauce
13 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
14 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
15 - 1 garlic clove, minced
16 - Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
17 - Salt and pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
18 - Fresh basil leaves
19 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese
# How to Make It:
01 - Set oven to 350°F and allow to fully preheat.
02 - Boil jumbo pasta shells in salted water until al dente. Drain and set shells on a kitchen towel to cool.
03 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté chopped onion and minced garlic until soft. Add tomato passata or marinara, red pepper flakes if using, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.
04 - In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine ricotta, chopped spinach, grated mozzarella, Parmesan, cranberries, egg, nutmeg, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper.
05 - Coat the bottom of a large baking dish with half the tomato sauce. Stuff each cooled shell with ricotta mixture then arrange filled shells in the dish.
06 - Pour remaining sauce over the shells and sprinkle with extra Parmesan.
07 - Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until golden and bubbling.
08 - Remove from oven, garnish with fresh basil, and serve immediately.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The surprise of dried cranberries in each bite is a festive twist your guests will rave about.
- It can be assembled ahead, so you spend less time cooking and more time laughing at the table.
02 -
- Soggy shells are so disappointing—patting them dry before filling is a lifesaver.
- Finely chopping spinach and cranberries means every forkful gets equal flavor bursts, not just a bland bite here or there.
03 -
- Always cook a few extra shells in case of breakage; they&apose fragile fresh from the pot.
- A microplane for Parmesan means snowy, delicate melts rather than chewy patches—trust me, it makes a difference.