Creamy Stuffed Shells With Tuna and Spinach

Updated 16th April 2024

This simple baked tuna and pasta dish is a comforting one with a fun twist on everyone’s favourite classic tuna casserole. It has a made-from-scratch creamy sauce and a crunchy Parmesan topping that puts this classic recipe over the top. It gets a fresh taste and a boost of greens from the spinach and a fun shape from the shells cause we all love stuffed pasta! I’m a huge fan of dishes like these that can be whipped up in no time making it perfect as a midweek meal and made with simple pantry ingredients.

This is not your average stuffed shell recipe. This is made with a creamy white sauce that does double duty as the sauce the shells bake in and also helps bind and flavour the filling. Not the ricotta cheese, laden with mozzarella cheese and red sauce kind - (don’t get me wrong I love that kind too) - this is very reminiscent of an old fashion tuna noodle casserole but instead of it all mixed together the creamy veggie tuna filling is stuffed into pasta shells and baked with a creamy flavourful white sauce. This is a delicious recipe that is sort of fun to make and perfect with a side green salad.

I know there are hundreds of versions of this classic tuna casserole and there are many ways you can make this recipe your own and that is another reason I love a comforting and delicious baked pasta dish. I thought it would be fun to make a stuffed shells version of it. This from scratch version of a classic tuna casserole is my favourite way to enjoy it. No canned soup mixes for me. I love making that creamy béchamel or cheese sauce. It’s got a lot of simple flavour in it from the onions, garlic and thyme and makes this dish so delicious. You know I will add spinach or kale to just about any dish and this one is no exception. Not only did we do the classic green peas in this one but also added spinach to add extra veggies and make this a bit heartier. A lot of classic tuna casserole recipes call for potato chips for the topping and although I’m not totally opposed to that as they add such an amazing crunch, I prefer mine with my Parmesan cheese and a bread crumb mix for the topping - simple and flavourful.

Ingredients

• SHELL PASTA: Jumbo pasta shells is what you need for this recipe and I would recommend cooking a few extra than you need in case a few break while cooking or draining. Cook them according to package directions.
• TUNA: I like to use albacore tuna but really you can use any canned tune you would like. I chose to use tuna in water but form more flavor you can use tuna in oil but - either way it must be drained
• OLIVE OIL: I use olive oil or butter for making the white cream sauce - either or will work (of course butter will give it more flavour) or you could do half olive oil and half butter
• ONION & GARLIC: Add flavour to the sauce - use as little or as much as you like
• FLOUR: This helps thicken the sauce by creating a roux with the oil or butter then adding the milk. Standard all purpose flour is what I use
• MILK: For best flavor I always use whole milk and I usually warm it up on the stovetop or the microwave so when I add it the roux it’s not cold from the fridge.
• PARMESAN CHEESE: Freshly grated is always what I use for best flavour
• PEAS: Fresh or frozen peas - if using frozen no need to thaw
• FROZEN SPINACH: I always use frozen spinach for this recipe - thawed then squeezed tight to release excess water
• SEASONING: Apart from salt and pepper I like to use fresh or dried thyme, chili flakes and Italian seasoning. Use as little or as much as you like to taste.
• FRESH HERBS: I like to garnish with some chopped fresh parsley but if you would like you could also include some fresh herbs into the filling or even the sauce for extra flavour.
• EXTRA ADD INS: Feel free to add some lemon zest to the filling or other herbs and seasoning to make it your own and to flavour dish as desired. There is not much cheese in this recipe especially when compared to most stuffed shells but that doesn’t mean you can’t add more if you want too. Some classic tuna casserole dishes are topped with cheddar cheese - feel free to do so or extra parmesan cheese if you wish. Feel free to add some ricotta cheese to the filling if you love the flavours of ricotta or top the whole thing off with mozzarella cheese for a little stretchy cheese pull action. If you want buttery bread crumbs feel free to toss the remaining bread crumbs (the ones left after you added half to the filling) and parmesan cheese with 1-2 tablespoons of melted butter which will give you a buttery crumb topping.
  
  

How To Make These Creamy Stuffed Shells

1. Cook Pasta: Cook al dente
2. Make Sauce: Saute aromatics, sprinkle over flour then whisk in the milk then the cheese
3. Make Filling: Combine spinach, green peas, tuna, and half of the sauce and half of the bread crumb mixture
4. Assemble: Place some sauce at the bottom of pan, fill shells with tuna mixture then place in pan over sauce, spoon remaining sauce over the pasta, sprinkle over bread crumb parmesan mixture
5. Bake: Bake until golden and bubbling
   
   

Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing Directions

• MAKE AHEAD: Assemble and refrigerate up to 1 day ahead of time. Add 5-10 minutes to baking time.
• STORAGE: Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days
• FREEZING: Assemble and freeze for up to 3 months. How? Prepare dish following the instructions, but don’t bake it. The only difference is to place the stuffed shells in a 9×13-inch aluminum pan. Cover it with aluminum foil and don’t forget to write the name of the dish and the instructions, along with the date. When you are ready to bake, take it out of the freezer, uncover, and bake. Since you are baking from frozen the cook time will likely be longer or let it fully thaw in the fridge and add 10 minutes to covered baking time.
  
  

This is such a great recipe for those busy weeknights and definitely fancy enough for company. It’s nice and quick to make, your family will love it and it will definitely be on repeat. Enjoy!

Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil/or butter
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-2 teaspoons fresh or dried thyme (or Italian seasoning)
• ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk, warmed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• ½-1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess liquid squeezed out
• 1 cup of frozen or fresh green peas
• 2 (170 gram) cans Solid White Albacore Tuna in water, drained and flaked
• 25 jumbo pasta shells, cooked according to package instructions to be al dente
  
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Pasta

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta shells and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Don’t overcook the shells. Drain, and rinse with run cold water to stop cooking. Set the shells aside. (Boil extra shells in case some break during the boiling or draining process.)

Sauce

1. In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion, garlic, chili flakes and thyme and cook until onion is translucent and softened.
2. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly, and cook until slightly thickened and bubbling, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in ½ of the grated parmesan cheese (¼ cup). Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat and set aside to allow sauce to cool slightly.

Filling

1. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, remaining Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning.
2. Transfer half the bread crumb mixture to a large bowl and combine with spinach, green peas, tuna, and half of the sauce; check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed.

Assembly

1. Layer ½ of the remaining cream sauce over the bottom of he baking dish evenly
2. Fill each shell with the spinach mixture and place in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish over the sauce.
3. Top with remaining sauce then sprinkle over remaining breadcrumb mixture.
4. Bake until sauce is bubbling and breadcrumbs are golden, about 20 minutes. Then, broil the shells for 2-3 minutes (watching carefully), if desired.
   
   

Recipe Notes

• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.