Best Ricotta Cheese Filling Recipe

Name: Best Ricotta Cheese Filling Recipe with Spinach
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 pound frozen chopped spinach; 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 medium onion (chopped); 2-3 garlic cloves (finely chopped); 3/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning; 15 ounce tub of ricotta cheese, full fat (sub low fat); 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves; 3/4 cup grated Parmesan (Parmigiano-reggiano); 2 large eggs; 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional); 1/4 teaspoon sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

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Creamy ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, and herbs mix up for a terrific ricotta cheese filling recipe usable in many ways. Stuffed shells? Lasagna? Omelets? Pasta casserole? Stuffed spaghetti squash? Savory crepes? It's so good, and I've listed 10 ideas for using this cheesy goodness. Grab some ricotta and let's get going.

This was inspired by my popular stuffed shells recipe, but this filling recipe is made with spinach (versus kale). The amazing thing is you can use it in so many ways! Read on to find out how.

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Why You'll Like This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Substitutions and Variations
Recipe Instructions
Serving Suggestions
Recipe FAQs
More Italian Recipe Ideas
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Why You'll Like This Recipe

Really easy recipe.
It can be used in many ways, see below for 10 ideas.
Easy ingredients.

Recipe Ingredients

I tested this with both fresh and frozen spinach and found the frozen, chopped easier to use with better results because the fresh had a lot of stems. Frozen is also easy to keep around. I made the first batch in the food processor and it got too fluid. Ricotta cheese filling is best made by hand.

Spinach: get the frozen chopped spinach, bagged kind that is IQF (individually quick frozen). Don't get the little square blocks.
Ricotta: whole milk ricotta cheese is the rich and creamy best choice, but low fat will work. I buy the organic brands and think it's a better product, if it's available.
Onion: for the flavorful aromatic quality and moisture.
Garlic: for flavor! Fresh is best.
Oil: extra virgin olive oil.
Parmesan cheese: get the good stuff, Parmigiano-Reggiano. Find store-grated in the cheese department or get a small block and grate it yourself.
Herbs: fresh basil leaves (or fresh parsley), and dried Italian seasoning blend.
Eggs: as a binder.
Seasoning: Salt, ground black pepper and red pepper (optional).

See recipe card for quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

If eggs are a problem, here are two options to replace eggs: flax egg or arrowroot starch.
To make a flax egg, add 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed to 3 tablespoons of water and stir. Allow it to stand for a few minutes until is looks sort of like a beaten egg. Mix into the ricotta.
Another option is mixing 2 tablespoons of arrowroot starch or cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water and stirring until smooth. For more ideas on egg substitutes read this post.

Recipe Instructions

You can make ricotta filling a day ahead of a making a bigger recipe like stuffed shells or homemade lasagna.

Chopped spinach on cutting board. — **Step 1:** Cook frozen spinach according to package directions. Drain through a fine mesh strainer and press out as much moisture as possible with the back of a large spoon. Next, place spinach on layers of paper towels and press out any additional moisture until spinach is almost dry.

After the spinach is dry, chop it to refine the texture, then add to medium mixing bowl.

Cooking onions in cast iron pan. — **Step 2:** Cook onion in olive oil, add garlic and dried Italian seasoning and cook another minute.

Mixing filling in glass bowl. — **Step 3:** Add ricotta to the spinach, stir together, add the rest of the ingredients: cooked onion, eggs, Parmesan, basil, salt, ground black pepper, and red pepper. It is ready to use or refrigerate.

Chef's Tip: If your filling is not as thick as you were expecting, place all of it into a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and allow any extra liquid to drain. You can cover and refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight. Also allow it to strain through cheese cloth until it is to your desired consistency.

Serving Suggestions

10 Ways to Use Ricotta Cheese Filling

Stuff jumbo pasta shells or manicotti, cover with 30-minute pasta tomato sauce and a little more Parmesan or Romano cheese then bake. Another sauce you can use is this meat sauce, my bison bolognese recipe for a rich and hearty winter dish.
Fill an omelet (it's delicious!).
Make a baked pasta casserole, tossing the ricotta filling with cooked penne or fusilli and cooked ground beef or turkey, topping with some grated mozzarella cheese and baking.
Use it as a ricotta filling for lasagna topped with marinara sauce.
Fill savory crepes (for gluten-free, try buckwheat or cassava flour crepes).
Make lasagna rolls. Cook lasagna noodles, trim a little of the length, put a few tablespoons on one end and roll up. Place in a casserole, top with sauce and cheese and bake.
Mix with spaghetti squash threads and stuff back into the squash for baking, covered with aluminum foil (vegetarian and meat options). Make it vegetarian, or add finely chopped sweet Italian sausage or browned ground meat of choice.
Ricotta toast. Make garlic toast in the oven with gluten-free bread or baguette slices, top with a few spoonfuls of the ricotta filling, and enjoy along side a big green salad or cut into bite-sized pieces for appetizers. For breakfast, top with poached or fried egg.
Make a white pizza spreading the filling over homemade pizza crust, topping with sliced tomatoes, and baking.
Make lemon ricotta pasta by adding fresh lemon zest to the filling and tossing it with your favorite hot cooked pasta noodle.

Finished ricotta cheese filling keeps up to 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. This is not something I recommend freezing as the texture changes.

Chef's Tip: If you use this ricotta filling for manicotti or jumbo shells, you can pipe it in with a pastry bag fitted with a large open tip (not a star tip).

Recipe FAQs

How do you thicken ricotta filling?

There are several ways to thicken ricotta filling. One is to place the filling in a fine strainer over a bowl and allow excess liquid to drain off. Another way is to line the strainer with cheesecloth. Yet another way is to add a thickener such as cornstarch or arrowroot starch. Start with 2-3 teaspoons and allow it to stand for 15-20 minutes.

How do you make store bought ricotta taste better?

Ricotta is a mild tasting fresh cheese, so it readily takes on whatever flavors you want to add to it. Add fresh herbs, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, sauteed onions and garlic to make it savory, or honey for a sweetened ricotta spread. Try chopped sun dried tomatoes and olives. There are so many ways to make store bought ricotta more flavorful.

Do I have to add egg to ricotta filling?

No, you can use an egg substitute or for some recipes that may not need to binding capability of egg, skip it. Substitutes that help as a binder include making a flax egg, a little white chia seed, arrowroot starch mixed with water ( 1:1), or a commercial egg replacer product. Some egg substitutes have definitive flavor that may not work in all recipes, such as mashed banana or applesauce.

More Italian Recipe Ideas

Try a few of these recipes when you are in the mood for Italian-inspired recipes and flavors.

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