Homemade Stuffed Shells Recipe with 1-Minute Tomato Sauce

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Make this quick and easy Stuffed Shells recipe with a handful of ingredients from your pantry.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

3 pints Home canned crushed tomatoes 15 ounce canned tomatoes from the grocery store can be substituted.
1 medium Yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cloves Fresh garlic, crushed and skins removed
2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil Plus a bit more for greasing the baking dish.
1 tsp Fine ground sea salt
1/2 tsp Coarse ground black pepper

1 pound Homemade ricotta cheese Store-bought can be substituted.
8 ounces Fresh mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated This is approximately 2 cups.
1 cup Parmesan Reggiano, coarsely grated
2 10 ounce Boxes chopped frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry You can also use fresh spinach, but you will need enough that once it is cooked and chopped, it will measure a tightly-packed cup.
2 large Eggs, slightly beaten

Bring a large pot (at least 4 quarts) of water to a boil.
Once the water reaches a rolling boil, add salt and stir well.
Next, add shells and stir well to make sure none are sticking together
Check package directions for cooking time, but undercook the shells and check at the halfway mark for al dente shells or slightly under al dente. The shells should still be firm but pliable.

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend/process until the contents are smooth. This will take anywhere from 30 seconds to 1 minute.
If you make this sauce by hand, you will need to finely grate the onion and garlic.

Grease baking dish with olive oil. Add approximately 2 cups of the sauce to the baking dish.
One at a time, fill each shell with approximately a heaping tablespoon of the cheese spinach mixture.
Place filled shell on top of sauce in baking dish.
Once the baking dish is filled with stuffed shells, dot each shell with more sauce.
Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes until bubbly.
Carefully remove baking dish from oven and place on a heatproof surface. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then scoop a portion of shells on to a plate to serve. Shells can be topped with grated Parmesan Reggiano and chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley or fresh basil, if desired. Serve remaining sauce, warmed, on the side.