Stuffed Shells With Spinach

5 from 3 votes

Feb 05, 2026

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These are my delicious, cheesy stuffed shells with spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes! This recipe is vegetarian, freezer-friendly, and a perfect easy weeknight dinner for the whole family.

Close up of a spoon lifting a stuffed shell from a baking dish filled with stuffed shells with spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes

Stuffed shells are the best comfort food dinner, and these ones are SO easy to make! Baked until browned and bubbly, my stuffed shells with spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes are perfect for weeknight dinners. I always called these “stuffed shells Florentine”, after chicken Florentine, since they’re loaded with spinach and topped with cheese. I make the filling from scratch, and it’s very much one of those recipes that you can adapt with extra ingredients from the fridge.

Cheesy Stuffed Shells With Spinach, At a Glance

Enough to feed a small army. The recipe makes a lot of filling, enough to stuff about 20 jumbo shells. It’s enough to feed a family (with leftovers!), and it makes this a great potluck dish, too.
Sneaky veggies. Like my spinach lasagna, baked stuffed shells smothered in cheese are an easy way to include vegetables in our weekly pasta night. The shells are packed with spinach, garlic, meaty mushrooms, and juicy tomatoes on a bed of savory marinara sauce.
Easy to make. These stuffed shells with spinach are ready in under an hour. Boil the pasta shells while you prepare the filling, then stuff the shells and bake. I also include make-ahead directions so you can freeze your stuffed shells for a future last-minute dinner.

Baked cheesy stuffed shells with spinach in a baking dish.

Gather Your Ingredients

Jumbo Pasta Shells – Also called conchiglioni in Italian. This can be your favorite brand. Barilla, Ronzoni, and DeLallo all make jumbo shells, or you can use a store brand, like Walmart or Target.
Butter – For sautéeing the mushrooms. I much prefer butter over oil when cooking mushrooms, as they tend to soak up whatever they’re sautéed in. Butter adds flavor!
Mushrooms – Any kind. Brown and white mushrooms, Baby Bellas, oyster mushrooms, or shiitakes are good options.
Garlic – Freshly minced, or you can use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder in place of each clove. Finely diced yellow onion would also work in this recipe.
Canned Tomatoes – Canned diced tomatoes, drained. Try fire-roasted tomatoes for a smokier flavor.
Baby Spinach – I like to use fresh spinach. If you’re using frozen spinach, be sure to thaw it fully and drain the excess liquid. You can also use chopped Swiss chard or kale.
Herbs – Italian seasoning and dried basil. Feel free to swap dried basil for fresh; in this case, you’ll need about 3 times as much fresh.
Marinara Sauce – Choose your preferred jar of marinara sauce or tomato sauce. If you have a homemade recipe, that will work, too!
Mozzarella Cheese – Freshly shredded mozzarella is best. Another melty cheese, like provolone or cheddar, also works nicely. You can also use a soft cheese, like Italian ricotta.

Quick Variations

More veggies. Add diced onions, bell peppers, carrots, celery, shredded cabbage, or any other vegetables you have in the crisper drawer.
Make it meaty. For a meatier version of this recipe, substitute the marinara sauce (and even the canned tomatoes) with a meat sauce, like ragu or Bolognese.

Recipe Tips

Substitute the mushrooms. If you dislike mushrooms, you can leave them out or substitute ground meat, such as beef, chicken, or pork. Another option is use cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken.
Thaw frozen spinach first. If you’re using frozen spinach instead of fresh, it’s super important to thaw it completely and squeeze out any excess liquid before you add it to the filling. If the spinach is watery, your shells will be soggy.
Use freshly shredded cheese. If you’ve ever wondered why pre-shredded, packaged cheese doesn’t melt as smoothly as freshly shredded cheese, it’s because it has a waxy coating that prevents it. Shred the mozzarella fresh from the block for the best results.
Don’t overcook the pasta. I suggest leaving your jumbo shells slightly undercooked to start, since they’ll finish cooking in the oven. Overcooking makes the shells fragile and mushy.
For more flavorful pasta shells, add 2-3 tablespoons of table salt to the water before you boil your pasta. Salted water is the key to well-seasoned pasta.

What to Serve With Stuffed Shells

Serve these gooey, saucy stuffed shells with crispy air fryer garlic bread, or these homemade grissini breadsticks dipped in garlic butter. I like to have a leafy Mediterranean salad or shrimp Caesar salad on the side. For dessert, try a slice of citrusy semolina cake or these easy 2-ingredient brownies.

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How to Make Stuffed Shells

Follow the steps below to prepare cheesy spinach stuffed shells with mushrooms and tomatoes. First, you’ll fill the pasta shells, then you’ll bake them under a blanket of mozzarella cheese.

Overhead view of tomato sauce with spinach and mushrooms in a skillet. — Make the spinach filling.

Pasta shells stuffed with spinach mushroom sauce in a baking dish. — Make the spinach filling.

Cook the pasta shells. First, boil the pasta shells according to the package directions, just short of al dente. The shells are easier to stuff, and they’ll continue to cook while they bake.
Sauté the mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms with butter over medium-high heat. After a few minutes, stir in the garlic and a little more butter.
Make the filling. Add the drained canned tomatoes to the skillet with the mushrooms. Then, add the seasonings. Bring the pan to a simmer, and stir in the spinach in batches. As soon as one batch cooks down, add the next.
Prepare the shells. Drain and then rinse the pasta shells with cold water, and pat them dry with paper towels.
Assemble. Spread about 1 cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Then, fill the shells with the spinach mixture and place them on top of the marinara sauce. Lastly, sprinkle over a layer of shredded mozzarella.
Bake. Bake the stuffed shells at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes. When the cheese is bubbly, take the shells out of the oven and garnish with fresh parsley for serving.

Make It Ahead

These stuffed shells freeze well, making them a wonderful dinner to prepare in advance. To prep these shells for freezing:

When you’re ready to bake, remove the foil and plastic wrap. Bake the stuffed shells from frozen at 350ºF for 45 to 50 minutes, or until bubbly and slightly browned on top.
Prepare and assemble the stuffed shells in the baking dish, but DO NOT bake.
Allow the dish to cool completely. Afterward, cover the shells tightly with plastic wrap, then with foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Refrigerate. The baked stuffed shells can be stored airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat. Warm up leftovers in the microwave, or you can reheat the shells in the oven.

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