Low Sodium Stuffed Shells Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis low sodium stuffed shells recipe is made with tender cooked pasta, and a creamy ricotta cheese and spinach filling, baked in flavorful low sodium tomato sauce! Delicious comfort food recipe you can make in under an hour.
This fantastic and easy low sodium Italian classic is the ultimate comfort food, with only ~150 mg sodium per serving. It’s a great holiday meal or perfect any time of year!
Want more low sodium pasta dishes? Try our creamy low sodium alfredo, low sodium Bolognese pasta, or our favorite low sodium mac and cheese recipe!
Around the holidays, my family always makes stuffed shells, an Italian-American classic in our house! I was home recently to finish up my first book (Low Sodium Dinners which I am so excited to share), and we enjoyed stuffed shells together. I had to make a low so version!
The main filling in the pasta is ricotta cheese, which is easy to find a low sodium version of at many grocery stores! I used a ricotta cheese which has just 50mg sodium per 1/4 cup serving, making it a great lower sodium option for cheese.
And paired with a no-salt-added tomato sauce, you can make delicious and creamy filled pasta, baked to perfection!
Why This Recipe Works
- These stuffed shells are creamy, tasty, and so flavorful.
- It’s a family classic! I developed this low sodium version by making a few updates so it’s suitable for those looking to reduce their sodium intake.
- It’s great to batch cook – this recipe makes a lot of shells! You could even double or triple the recipe if you are cooking for a crowd.
- Freezes well! If you only want half the recipe – make the whole thing and freeze half for later.
- A fantastic way to have a great low sodium Italian dinner, without sacrificing big flavor!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Jumbo Shells – I used a 16 ounce box (1 lb) of jumbo shells, which held their filling really well.
- No-Salt-Added Tomato Sauce – you can use a plain canned tomato sauce, or if you have a bit of extra time, my low sodium spaghetti sauce is perfect for this recipe.
- Ricotta Cheese – many regular varieties of ricotta cheese are low in sodium. The version I used had 60mg sodium for a 1/4 cup serving.
- Eggs
- Spinach – you can use fresh baby spinach, or frozen chopped spinach for this recipe, just see the note below if using frozen.
- Fresh Parsley – adds a wonderful herby flavor to the ricotta stuffing.
- Black pepper – for a bit of extra spice.
- Fresh Mozzarella, packed in water – optional for sprinkling over the top of this dish. You can omit if you desired, but I added some on as I like the texture of the mozzarella once it’s been baked.
Additions and Substitutions
- Want meat? No problem! Use a plain ground pork or beef, sauté it, and mix it into the ricotta filling! Adding meat will alter the nutrition information below, so be sure to update the sodium content with the ingredients you use.
- Using frozen spinach is totally fine – just be sure it’s thawed, and drained well before adding it to the filling.
- You could also use a low sodium parmesan cheese on top instead of the mozzarella.
How To Make Stuffed Shells
Step 1: Cook pasta shells according to package instructions. You want them to be al dente (a little firm) as they are going to cook more in the oven. Drain pasta, and set aside.
Step 2: Heat your tomato sauce – you can use plain no-salt-added canned tomato sauce, or a low sodium spaghetti sauce with a few more herbs and spices.
Step 3: To a large mixing bowl, add your filling ingredients: ricotta cheese, eggs, chopped parsley, chopped spinach, and black pepper.
Step 4: Mix the ricotta filling well to combine.
Step 5: Add half the sauce to the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish. Take each shell, and fill it with 2-3 tablespoons of ricotta filling. Place in the baking dish in a single layer.
Step 6: Repeat until all shells are filled, and all of the ricotta filling has been used.
Step 7: Add the remaining sauce to the top of the shells. Sprinkle the fresh mozzarella on top, if using.
Step 8: Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, uncovered. Pasta is done when bubbling at the edges and lightly browned on top.
Recipe FAQs
This low sodium stuffed shells recipe has just 150 mg sodium per serving, using no-salt-added tomato sauce and low sodium ingredients. If you enjoy stuffed shells at a restaurant or pre-made from the grocery store, ask for or check the nutritional content to see the exact sodium amount in prepared foods, as it will differ.
Absolutely! Adding fully cooked ground beef or pork (which mimics the sausage traditionally used in shells) is great to add to the filling. Be sure to update your sodium content to reflect any added ingredients.
Yes! You can make the ricotta filling in ravioli, stuffed manicotti, or layered in a low sodium lasagna.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to cook the pasta al dente – since it will be baked in the oven later, using fully cooked shell noodles may make the shells hard to fill and soggy when baked.
- Freeze these for later! This recipe is great doubled – enjoy half now and freeze the other half for later. The shells make a great cozy meal for nights when you don’t feel like cooking.
- I highly recommend fresh parsley, but if you don’t like the flavor, you can add 1 teaspoon dried parsley in the filling or 1 teaspoon no-salt-added Italian seasoning to the mix instead.
More Great Low Sodium Pastas
- Low Sodium Baked Ziti
- Low Sodium Tomato Basil Sauce
- The best Low Sodium Lasagna
- Low Sodium Chicken Marsala
- Low Sodium Cajun Pasta
Let’s keep in touch – don’t forget to follow over on Instagram, Facebook, & my Youtube channel for more easy low sodium recipes.
If you made this recipe please leave a star rating & comment below. Your feedback helps other people who are making this recipe.
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Low Sodium Stuffed Shells
Equipment
- 13 x 9 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 12 ounces jumbo shells
- 32 ounces no-salt-added tomato sauce
- 32 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 ounces fresh mozzarella packed in water
Instructions
- Step 1: Cook pasta shells according to package instructions. You want them to be al dente (a little firm) as they are going to cook more in the oven. Drain pasta, and set aside.
- Step 2: Heat your tomato sauce – you can use plain no-salt-added canned tomato sauce, or a low sodium spaghetti sauce with a few more herbs and spices.
- Step 3: To a large mixing bowl, add your filling ingredients: ricotta cheese, eggs, chopped parsley, chopped spinach, and black pepper.
- Step 4: Mix the ricotta filling well to combine.
- Step 5: Add half the sauce to the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish. Take each shell, and fill it with 2-3 tablespoons of ricotta filling. Place in the baking dish in a single layer.
- Step 6: Repeat until all shells are filled, and all of the ricotta filling has been used.
- Step 7: Add the remaining sauce to the top of the shells. Sprinkle the fresh mozzarella on top, if using.
- Step 8: Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, uncovered. Pasta is done when bubbling at the edges and lightly browned on top.
Notes
-
- Want meat? No problem! Use a plain ground pork or beef, sauté it, and mix it into the ricotta filling! Adding meat will alter the nutrition information below, so be sure to update the sodium content with the ingredients you use.
-
- Using frozen spinach is totally fine – just be sure it’s thawed, and drained well before adding it to the filling.
-
- You could also use a low sodium parmesan cheese on top instead of the mozzarella.
- Be sure to cook the pasta al dente – since it will be baked in the oven later, using fully cooked shell noodles may make the shells hard to fill and soggy when baked.
- Freeze these for later! This recipe is great doubled – enjoy half now and freeze the other half for later. The shells make a great cozy meal for nights when you don’t feel like cooking.
- I highly recommend fresh parsley, but if you don’t like the flavor, you can add 1 teaspoon dried parsley in the filling or 1 teaspoon no-salt-added Italian seasoning to the mix instead.
Nutrition
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used, it may vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify sodium amounts.
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