Creamy ricotta, tender pasta tubes, rich tomato sauce, and plenty of melted cheese baked until bubbly and golden… this is the kind of comforting dinner everyone goes back for seconds of. This Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Bake is cozy, hearty, incredibly satisfying, and still easy enough for a busy weeknight.
The cheesy filling comes together with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach, egg, and simple seasonings for the perfect creamy and cheesy bite in every piece of pasta. Using frozen spinach makes this stuffed pasta bake even more convenient because it’s affordable, easy to keep on hand, and works perfectly once the excess moisture is squeezed out.
This is one of those dependable family-style pasta dinners that feels homemade and comforting without requiring complicated steps or hours in the kitchen. You can prepare everything ahead of time, refrigerate it, and bake it later. This makes it perfect for hectic evenings, meal prep, or casual family gatherings.
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As the pasta bakes, the cheese becomes perfectly melty while the sauce keeps everything rich and flavorful underneath. Every bite has the perfect balance of creamy ricotta filling, tender pasta, savory tomato sauce, and gooey melted cheese.
Serve it with garlic bread, roasted vegetables, or a crisp salad for an easy dinner everyone will love. The leftovers might taste even better the next day.
My family absolutely devours this one every single time, so unfortunately, there are rarely any leftovers… But maybe that’s a good thing too. You can also make the sauce with ground beef if you want an even richer flavor and an extra layer of protein, but this time I decided to keep it simple and meatless.
- The beautiful bake dish is by Staub Ceramics
- The plates are by Gibson Home, and this is the closest I could find
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Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Bake
Easy baked stuffed pasta tubes filled with ricotta, spinach, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese in rich marinara sauce. Cozy family-friendly comfort food recipe.
Ingredients
- 8 oz (225 g) pasta tubes (manicotti or cannelloni)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 10 oz (280 g) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 15 oz (425 g) ricotta cheese
- 1 cup (100 g) shredded mozzarella cheese, plus extra for topping
- 1/2 cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 dash of crushed red chili peppers
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups (480 ml) marinara or pasta sauce
- Fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook pasta tubes according to package directions until slightly firm. Drain and cool.
- In a bowl, combine ricotta, spinach, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, garlic (or garlic powder), Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Spread about 1 cup of pasta sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.
- Carefully fill each pasta tube with the ricotta mixture using a spoon or piping bag. piping bag is always the best option but if you do not have one, you can use a large ziploc bag to mimic the bag or simuly use smaller spoon.
- Arrange stuffed pasta in the baking dish.
- Spoon remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with extra mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve warm.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per ServingCalories 712Total Fat 38gSaturated Fat 19gUnsaturated Fat 19gCholesterol 149mgSodium 1749mgCarbohydrates 48gFiber 7gSugar 9gProtein 46g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate, but we try our best.
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