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Easy One Pot Spinach Broccoli Ricotta Stuffed Shells: Jumbo pasta shells and broccoli are boiled together until perfectly al dente. Then, with milk and a handful of melty cheeses and creamy ricotta, everything comes together into a rich, cheesy filling—no extra steps needed. Fresh basil and a touch of lemon zest add brightness and flavor. It’s simple, satisfying, and sure to become a regular in your weeknight dinner rotation. Totally delicious!
When I was in New York, I enjoyed one of the yummiest baked pastas. It was a lucious individual serving of baked stuffed shells in the cheesiest mascarpone truffle sauce. If you’re in New York, try the baked shells from Crane Club for sure.
While I was inspired by that wonderful meal, I wanted to create my own variation with lighter, springtime flavors. And as much as I love a hint of truffle, it can be a bit pricey—so I swapped it out for bright lemon zest and fresh broccoli instead! It’s such a delicious combo, and honestly, one you can enjoy any time of year.
What I really loved were the jumbo stuffed shells—and just how much cheesy sauce they were baked in. If there was ever a time to use the word divine, it’s to describe that dish. Delish!
I did my best to recreate it as an easy, one-pot pasta with lots of cheesy sauce and an “unstuffed,” but honestly still stuffed, shell situation. With three cheeses and a few generous handfuls of chopped broccoli, the shells practically stuff themselves. I added a little kick with some chipotle, but cayenne or chili flakes work just as well if that’s more your thing!
We loved this easy, peasy, one pot pasta! It will not let you down!
Let’s get into the details
Here are the ingredients:
- Jumbo pasta shells
- Broccoli
- Whole milk or heavy cream
- Spicy cheddar or white cheddar cheese
- Provolone cheese
- Whole milk ricotta cheese
- Baby spinach
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Chipotle chili powder – or use chili flakes for some added spice
- Fresh basil
- Lemon zest
- Black pepper
Here are the steps
Step 1: boil the jumbo shells and broccoli
Use a pot large enough to hold both the jumbo shells and the broccoli. Fill it with about 4 cups of water.
Once the water has come to a boil, add the shells and the broccoli. Boil together until al dente, do not drain the pasta.
The water in the pot will help create the cheese sauce, along with the cheeses and ricotta cheese.
Step 2: stir in all the remaining ingredients
Now add the cream or milk. This will create the cream sauce. Then for the cheeses, I love using a mix. My favorite blend for this pasta is a spicy rattlesnake cheddar cheese, or you can use a sharp white cheddar if you prefer. Then something super melty like provolone, or another option could be Havarti. Just some kind of mix with rich flavors.
The ricotta is the key here. The pasta I enjoyed used mascarpone, which would be a wonderful substitute. You could even use cream cheese! But I always have ricotta in the fridge, so that’s what I used to make this dish. Add the spinach now too.
Step 3: seasonings
To season, I like to use garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and chipotle chili powder. As I mentioned above, you can also use chili flakes or cayenne for some extra heat. The spices give the pasta a nice balance of flavor.
And then lots of fresh basil and lemon zest. The lemon is so yummy with the ricotta cheese.
And once you add the basil and lemon zest – ah, the pasta will immediately smell so good!
Step 4: serve
Serve the unstuffed but stuffed jumbo shells directly out of the pot, then top with fresh basil and lemon,
I added simple roasted chicken to balance the dish. Of course, a big salad is a wonderful option, too! Enjoy!
Looking for other one-pot recipes? Here are my favorites:
French Onion Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
One Skillet White Chicken Chili Bake
Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Lastly, if you make this one pot Spinach Broccoli Ricotta Stuffed Shells, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pot Spinach Broccoli Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 738 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound jumbo pasta shells
- 3 cups chopped broccoli
- 1 cup heavy cream or whole milk
- 2 cups shredded spicy cheddar or white cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone
- 4 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese (cream cheese or mascarpone)
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon zest
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
- 1. In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, the pasta, and broccoli. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Do not drain the water.2. Stir in the milk. Add the cheeses, spinach, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and chipotle, and stir until melted and creamy. Remove from the heat. Stir in the basil and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. If the sauce feels thick, add ¼ cup of milk to thin.3. Divide the pasta and broccoli between bowls. Top with basil and lemon.
This post was originally published on April 7, 2025
Delicious! Was nervous about the water ratio based of other comments, but it worked out perfectly and tasted so delicious! Added Italian sausage too
Hey Hannah,
Amazing! Thank you so much for making this recipe, so glad it turned out well!
Happy Easter!
My pasta is sooo runny and not creamy at all. After reading the comments I think I added too much water (pasta wasn’t covered) and added cold dairy products. Can you please list when dairy products need to be room temperature? I just wasted so much food and ruined dinner for my family
Hi Amber,
So sorry to hear this! Dairy ingredients should always be at room temperature unless otherwise noted:) How much water did you use?
I was nervous to make this based on some of the comments below, but it actually turned out really good! I followed some of the tips below and slowly added cheeses in, so not sure if that helped, but it ended up being the perfect consistency! I also used coconut milk instead of heavy cream and took some of the water out once the pasta was cooked.
Hey Lo,
Thanks for trying this recipe and for the feedback—I can’t wait to hear what you make next!
Enjoy your day!
This is delicious 😋 I made it tonight to go with grilled chicken and it’s super good.
Hey Misty,
Thanks for the thoughtful feedback after trying this recipe—happy to hear it was a win!
Have a great week!
Loved this dish and it reheated beautifully for lunch the next day! The only problem I had was that using the jumbo shells, 4 cups of water came nowhere close to covering them (plus the broccoli). So I added more water – enough to cover all. When the pasta was ready, I drained it all through a colander but into a bowl to save the pasta water. I didn’t end up needing any pasta water after adding the ricotta and cheese and milk, etc. Turned out great!
Hey Caitlin,
Thanks for the thoughtful feedback after trying this recipe—happy to hear it was a win!
Enjoy your weekend!
This recipe was perfect and came together so quickly! Definitely saving and making again. 4 cups was just the right amount of water for the shells and broccoli to cook without being soupy (and still in one pot). Delicious. Love the double veggies, too.
Hey Caryn,
Happy Friday! Big thanks for making this recipe and sharing back. So glad it hit the spot!
Want to make this but need it to have meat. Do you think Italian sausage would work? Or just chicken?
Hey Victoria,
Totally, Italian sausage would be delicious here. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
I hope you love this recipe!
Soupy mess
This recipe needed a lot of adjustments to make it work for me. 4 cups of water wasn’t even enough to cover 1/2 of the noodles so I had to add much more and then remove after cooking and ended up with a watery sauce anyway, which I had to thicken and it ended up more like a gravy. I had to double the seasoning and I am still not happy with it. I am a very well seasoned cook and I doubt this was largely user error. After the many adjustments it was just okay. Wouldn’t make again.
Hi Ella,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
Did the same, tossed half the cooking water, added a flour slurry and more ricotta. Still to much liquid but almost tolerable.
The ricotta and other cheese formed big clumps and did not melt together
Hi Claire,
Sorry to hear this. Were your ingredients at room temp? Please let me know how I can help!
Hi! I just read this comment and I am wondering, are the ingredients supposed to be at room temperature?
Thank you!
Hi Danika,
Yes, I always recommend dairy products to be at room temp when cooking, unless otherwise noted:)
I also came to say I can’t believe the low rating! I just made this tonight and it is SO delicious. That lemon zest is just beautiful in this recipe. The whole family loved it!
Thanks so much, Tijana! So glad this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! Happy September:)
Not sure why this recipe has a low rating. I made it anyway because half baked harvest hasn’t steered me wrong. I followed the comment that said to make sure you had a rolling boil when adding the broccoli (I substituted elbow macaroni to make this for my toddler)the 4 cups of water at the start was perfect. I adjusted cook time based off of the pasta I used. I cooked it JUST until Al dente then added the milk (I used coconut cream). Slowly added the cheese in 1 handful at a time and also shredded the cheese myself I think that helps with the melting issue some people seem to have. I read that the original recipe used truffles so next time I will sprinkle some truffle powder on top because I will be making this again. Love a one pot recipe
Hi Melisa! Thanks so much for giving this a try and for the thoughtful notes! I love your tips, especially cooking the pasta just until al dente, adding the cheese slowly, and shredding it yourself! The coconut cream swap sounds delicious too! Truffle powder on top is a genius idea, I might have to try that next time as well. So glad you’re enjoying this one-pot recipe! xT