Pull-Apart Stuffed Pasta Ring - Baked Shells

This pull-apart stuffed pasta ring comes together with just one bowl for mixing the filling and one round dish for baking. You fill tender pasta shells with a savory spinach and cheese blend, arrange them in a circle over red sauce, and bake until melted and bubbling.

Boiling the jumbo shells takes only ten minutes. After that, filling and packing them into a spiral shape takes minimal effort. It delivers the classic comfort of baked stuffed shells in a simple dish everyone can share at the table.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare Oven

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a circular baking dish so the sauce does not stick.

2. Mix Filling

In a bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, spinach, oregano, garlic, basil, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir until smooth and thick.

3. Stuff Shells

Gently open each cooked jumbo shell, turning it inside out slightly if needed. Spoon one to two tablespoons of the cheese mixture into each shell and fold it back closed.

4. Build Ring

Spread an even layer of marinara sauce across the bottom of your round dish. Place the stuffed shells cheese side up into the pan in a spiraling ring pattern.

5. Top Pasta

Spoon a small amount of extra marinara sauce into the gaps between the shells. Scatter a generous layer of extra shredded mozzarella cheese over the entire ring.

6. Bake Ring

Bake for 15 minutes. Watch for sauce bubbling rapidly along the edges and cheese melted into a light golden brown layer across the top.

Tips & Tricks

• Boil your jumbo shells two minutes less than the box suggests so they remain sturdy while stuffing.
• Squeeze cooked spinach in a clean kitchen towel to remove all extra water before mixing.

Variations

• Add cooked ground beef or Italian sausage to the cheese mixture for a meat-filled version.
• Use spicy arrabbiata sauce instead of marinara for extra kick.

How to Store Pull-apart Stuffed Pasta Ring

Frequently Asked Questions

Pull-Apart Stuffed Pasta Ring – Baked Shells

Make a crowd-pleasing pull-apart stuffed pasta ring with jumbo shells, creamy ricotta, spinach, marinara, and gooey melted mozzarella in 35 minutes.

20 minPrep time15 minCook time35 minTotal4Servings

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Ingredients

• 1 pt ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup spinach (cooked)
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon red chili flake (optional)
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)
• 1 lb jumbo pasta shell (cooked)
• marinara sauce (to taste)
• shredded mozzarella cheese (to taste)

Instructions

1. 1Prepare Oven — Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a circular baking dish so the sauce does not stick.
2. 2Mix Filling — In a bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, spinach, oregano, garlic, basil, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir until smooth and thick.
3. 3Stuff Shells — Gently open each cooked jumbo shell, turning it inside out slightly if needed. Spoon one to two tablespoons of the cheese mixture into each shell and fold it back closed.
4. 4Build Ring — Spread an even layer of marinara sauce across the bottom of your round dish. Place the stuffed shells cheese side up into the pan in a spiraling ring pattern.
5. 5Top Pasta — Spoon a small amount of extra marinara sauce into the gaps between the shells. Scatter a generous layer of extra shredded mozzarella cheese over the entire ring.
6. 6Bake Ring — Bake for 15 minutes. Watch for sauce bubbling rapidly along the edges and cheese melted into a light golden brown layer across the top.

Cook's note: Troubleshooting Note: If your pasta ring turns out dry, you did not spread enough marinara sauce on the bottom of the pan before adding the shells. Always cover the bottom completely so the pasta stays moist as it bakes.

Servings: 4

Cuisine: Italian-American

Course: Main Course

RecipesCooker20 minutes15 minutes35 minutes

Written by Marta Kowalczyk
Muffins & quick breads are my whole kitchen philosophy: one bowl, a whisk, and a batter that goes from counter to oven before the coffee cools. I write for cooks who want banana bread and blueberry muffins that work on a Tuesday, with ingredient swaps and bake times tested in an ordinary home oven. My angle is making quick breads forgiving, so a slightly overripe fruit or a forgotten timer still ends in something worth slicing.