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
- 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.
After the spinach is dry, chop it to refine the texture, then add to medium mixing bowl.
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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
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.
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.
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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📖 Recipe
Best Ricotta Cheese Filling Recipe with Spinach
Equipment
- Fry pan or saute pan
- Fine sieve or strainer
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen chopped spinach
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ medium onion chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- ¾ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 15 ounce tub of ricotta cheese, full fat sub low fat
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan Parmigiano-reggiano
- 2 large eggs
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes optional
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
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Instructions
Cook the spinach
- Cook the spinach according to the directions on the bag. Put a small amount of water in a pot, bring to a boil, add the frozen spinach, add a lid to the pot, and turn to low. Cook 5-7 minutes until totally thawed.
- Pour the cooked spinach into a fine mesh strainer and press the liquid out with the back of a large spoon over the sink. To get the spinach very dry, place it onto double layers of paper towels, top with more paper towels, and press with your hands. Repeat to get most of the water out. Chop to refine the spinach then place in a medium bowl.
Make the filling
- Heat a saute pan, fry pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. When it's hot, add the olive, then add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning, cook 1 minute longer.
- Add the ricotta to the bowl with the spinach and stir together. Add the onion mixture, Parmesan, basil and eggs, mix until smooth. Add the salt, ground black pepper, and red pepper if using. The filling is ready to use. Filling will keep refrigerated and used within 4 days.
Notes
- Stuff pasta shells or manicotti and cover with 30-minute pasta sauce, then bake.
- Fill an omelet (it's delicious!).
- Make a baked pasta casserole, tossing with cooked penne and cooked ground beef or turkey, topping with more cheese and baking.
- Use it as a ricotta filling for lasagna.
- Fill savory crepes (for gluten-free, try buckwheat or cassava flour crepes).
- Make lasagna rolls.
- Mix with spaghetti squash threads and stuff back into the squash for baking (vegetarian and meat options).
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