Healthier Meatless Stuffed Shells Recipe made with Spinach (2024)

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Shared by Amy Desrosiers | 20 Comments
Updated on January 9, 2022

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Want a delicious & lightened up stuffed shells recipe? This easy, 30-minute pasta dish contains no meat & features sauteed veggies & light cheeses. Even picky eaters will enjoy this flavorful vegetable pasta meal.

My family loves cheesy pasta recipes, but sometimes meals like stuffed shells can be really calorie-laden. I mean, I do love them with lots of meats, cheese–don’t get me wrong.

Some of my favorite shells recipes are these 30 Minute Sausage Stuffed Shells, Shrimp Scampi Stuffed Shells, , or these .

But, for this lighter pasta shells recipe, I decided to use reduced fats cheeses, and a veggie filling.

The end result was a tasty meal that even my picky kids enjoyed once they got over the green spinach colored filling.

The results were so darn delicious and has my entire family begging for seconds.

Lightened up ingredients

I used low-fat varieties of ricotta and mozzarella cheese. You could use 100% fat-free versions if you want. By cutting down on the cheese calories, you eliminate a lot of the fat from this dish.

By sauteing your veggies, you add extra flavor to them which is much-appreciated to amplify this dish.

I did top this dish with a little bit of Parmesan cheese for flavor, but Parmesan is a hard cheese so it already is lower in fat.

Make

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
Boil pasta shells in salted water until al dente. Once boiled, drain, and rinse with cool water.
Squeeze out as much water as possible from the thawed spinach. I used a few paper towels and pressed the leaves in them to remove the excess moisture.
In a large bowl, stir together the spinach, mozzarella, ricotta, shredded carrots, egg whites, pepper and nutmeg until thoroughly blended.
Line the bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish with 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Divide the ricotta mixture among the pasta shells, pressing the filling into the shells with spoon to completely fill each shell.You could also use a large tipped pastry bag for a more even filling.
Arrange the shells side by side in a baking dish. Coat the shells with an even layer of the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Bake until the center of the shells are heated through and the sauce is bubbling (about 40 minutes). Let stand 10+ minutes before serving.

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Lightened Up Meatless Pasta Shells Bake

Want a delicious & lightened up stuffed shells recipe? This easy pasta meal contains no meat & features veggies & light cheeses. Even picky eaters will enjoy it!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 8 people

Calories 342cal

Author Amy Desrosiers

Cost $10

Equipment

13" x 9" Pyrex baking dish
See Also
Grilled Pineapple Kabobs Pineapple BBQ Sauce Recipe 11 Beautiful Blueberry Recipes from Healthy Helper Crave-Worthy Cinnamon Apple Crepe Recipe 18 Recipes for the ULTIMATE Peanut Butter Lover
6 quart stock pot
large skillet
large glass bowl
Large spoon

Ingredients

12 ounces Jumbo Stuffed shells
24 ounces Marinara sauce
3 cups spinach Can use frozen (thawed with excess moisture removed)
2/3 cup carrot grated
1/2 cup onion diced
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1 tbsp. extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 egg whites
6 ounces low-fat or fat-free mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups low-fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a large skillet, add olive oil, carrots, and onion. Saute until tender. Add in spinach and season with pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and nutmeg. Cook it down for about a minute. Remove from heat once done, and add to a large glass bowl.
Boil pasta shells until al dente. Once cooked, carefully drain boiled water, and rinse shells with cool water. Drain and set aside.
Add ricotta, mozzarella, and egg whites to the large glass bowl with the cooked veggies. Mix to combine.
Stuff each shell with at least a heaping tablespoon of filling. Line shells in glass dish. Repeat this step until all shells are filled.
Top shells with Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes. Allow pasta to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Nutritional values may vary and are meant to be a guide.

Store cooled pasta in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

To reheat, place shells in a microwave-safe plate and heat until warm.

Nutrition

About Amy Desrosiers

Hi! I am Amy! I am a former teacher, fueled by coffee, and cheese. I love photography and always have a camera handy! I might be a little obsessed with cute photography props, and Rae Dunn, but all is good! Welcome to my site! I hope you find an easy to make recipe, or product you might also love!

Reader Interactions

Comments

Elizabeth @ Being MVP says
October 15, 2014 at 4:30 pm

Oh that looks delicious! Perfect for weekday dinner.
Reply
Dee Mauser says
October 15, 2014 at 5:49 pm

Manicotti is one of my favorite pasta dishes and this looks similar with the ingredients you listed. Sounds very good. Thanks for sharing!
Reply
Dawn says
October 15, 2014 at 6:03 pm

I love stuffed shells. Thanks for this great variation on an old favorite!
Reply
Ann Bacciaglia says
October 15, 2014 at 6:44 pm

This recipe looks amazing. I love eating stuffed shells. So many great ways to make them. I want to try this recipe as soon as i can.
Reply
See Also
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Tammi @ My Organized Chaos says
October 15, 2014 at 6:50 pm

Pasta is so much better when stuffed with goodness! Love the recipe!
Reply
Amber Edwards says
October 15, 2014 at 8:24 pm

oh my goodness, I adore Stuffed shells! And those look absolutely amazing! Yum!
Reply
Mama to 5 BLessings says
October 15, 2014 at 10:21 pm

I am drooling right now – I am on low carb – I miss my pasta dishes! Looks great!
Reply
Kristin says
October 15, 2014 at 11:44 pm

Great recipe I love stuffed shells. Thank you for sharing.
Reply
Marina @ Mommy Snippets says
October 16, 2014 at 12:08 am

Those look yummy! I love stuffed shells. One of my favorite go to dinner recipes.
Reply
Amanda says
October 16, 2014 at 12:15 am

oh these look tasty! My kids would love stuffed shells!
Reply
Jennifer Williams says
October 16, 2014 at 12:16 am

Those look so good. I love that they are healthier than most that I see. This would be a great meal to warm up with.
Reply
Kayla @ TheEclecticElement says
October 16, 2014 at 12:27 am

My family has stopped most of the pasta since we all have wheat and gluten issues but I think I’d make an exception for your stuffed shells recipe! That looks beyond incredible. Yummy!
Reply
Melissa Pezza says
October 16, 2014 at 1:00 am

I love this recipe. It looks so yummy, and it’s a great way to get veggies into kids that are less that cooperative about them.
Reply
Ronni says
October 16, 2014 at 10:15 am

I make stuffed shells quite often, but mine a completely different! These look so yummy!
Reply
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
October 16, 2014 at 10:16 am

Stuffed pasta is one of our favs over here! Perfect comfort food!
Reply
Debi says
October 16, 2014 at 7:50 pm

I love stuffed shells! These look so amazing.
Reply
ANGELE @shoeboxbegone says
October 20, 2014 at 11:45 pm

I love the versatility of pasta! must try this one!
Reply
Lisa says
October 22, 2014 at 12:00 pm

do you perchance have the nutritional values for this dish? thanks!
Reply
- Amy says
  October 22, 2014 at 1:37 pm
  
  Sadly, no! The recipe came from this site: http://pastafits.org/pasta-recipes/healthy-stuffed-shells/
  Reply
Keri says
December 16, 2022 at 2:16 pm

You never mentioned where or when to add the marinara sauce, only in the ingredients. It’s obvious, you would add some to the bottom of the dish before the shells are layered, then on top!
Reply

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Healthier Meatless Stuffed Shells Recipe made with Spinach (2024)

FAQs

How many calories are in homemade stuffed shells? ›

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

550	Calories
25g	Fat
44g	Carbs
38g	Protein

View Details ›

Are stuffed shells high in carbs? ›

Stuffed Shells, Cheese-filled, With Meat Sauce (1 shell (jumbo)) contains 13g total carbs, 12.1g net carbs, 5.9g fat, 8g protein, and 137 calories.

Keep Reading ›

What is a good side with stuffed shells? ›

Stuffed Shells Serving Suggestions

Round out the meal with a green salad and good bread. I often serve these stuffed shells with my Homemade Caesar Salad, but my Arugula Salad, Beet Salad, or Simple Green Salad would also pair well with this recipe. And when it comes to bread, you really can't go wrong!

Nutrition Facts
For a Serving Size of 2 pieces (113g)
How many calories are in Stuffed Shells? Amount of calories in Stuffed Shells: Calories 180	Calories from Fat 36 (20%)
	% Daily Value *
How much fat is in Stuffed Shells? Amount of fat in Stuffed Shells: Total Fat 4g	-

How do you keep stuffed shells from sticking? ›

Avoiding The Shells Sticking Together

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.

Learn More ›

How do you heat up stuffed shells? ›

Place a single serving of shells on a microwave-safe dish and drizzle a little extra sauce or water on top to keep them moist while they cook. Then, cover the dish and microwave the shells at medium heat for 1 to 1 ½ minutes.

Explore More ›

Is there protein in stuffed shells? ›

Each stuffed shell has 14 grams of protein! This is the perfect healthy comfort food.

Find Out More ›

How many calories are in ricotta stuffed shells? ›

STUFFED SHELLS FILLED WITH RICOTTA & ROMANO CHEESES, RICOTTA & ROMANO CHEESES

Name	Amount	Unit
Energy	150	kcal
Protein	6.43	g
Total lipid (fat)	2.86	g
Carbohydrate, by difference	15.7	g

11 more rows

Read On ›

How many calories are in 5 stuffed shells? ›

1 serving of five cheese stuffed shells (Safeway Select) contains 290 Calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 33% carbs, 46% fat, and 21% protein. This is a good source of protein (27% of your Daily Value) and calcium (35% of your Daily Value).

Calories	350.3
Total Fat	14.9 g
Saturated Fat	5.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	1.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat	5.8 g