Spinach and ricotta stuffed shells
Pasta shells filled with spinach and ricotta beneath a tomato sauce.
About 55 min · 540 kcal · 30 g protein per serving
Vegetarian
Spinach, potato and cottage cheese gratin
Thin potatoes and spinach baked in a cottage cheese custard.
By The foodose editorial team. Nutrition calculated from USDA FoodData Central. Checked on paper on 12 September 2026; not yet cooked in a test kitchen or photographed, so the times and yield are estimates. How we develop our recipes
What still needs a real kitchen
- Confirm the potatoes are tender in 35 to 40 minutes
- Photograph the finished gratin
- Time
- About 1 hr 5 min
- estimated
- Serves
- 2
- see below
- Energy
- 410 kcal
- per serving
- Protein
- 28 g
- per serving
Ingredients for 2 servings
Check off ingredients as you go.
Contains eggs, milk. Check the labels on packaged ingredients:
- cheddar. Some cheddar is made with animal rennet; check the label if you are vegetarian.
Cooking steps
Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan). Brush a baking dish with the oil.
Simmer the potato slices for 5 minutes, until bendy but not falling apart, then drain them carefully.
Wilt the spinach in a dry pan, press out the liquid in a sieve and chop it.
Blend the cottage cheese, eggs and milk until smooth. Layer the potatoes and spinach in the dish, pour the custard over and scatter the cheddar on top.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the custard is set with no liquid egg left.
Cooked when: 71°C / 160°F in the centre. A food thermometer is the reliable way to tell.
The useful detail
Thin, even potato slices are essential. Thick slices are still firm when the custard has set, and there is no way to cook them further without curdling it.
Make it work for you
One serving is Half the dish. You can switch to a smaller portion in the ingredients above; it is three quarters of this, and it contains correspondingly less energy and protein. It is an option, not a goal.
Sweet potato instead of potato
Sweeter and softer; skip the parboiling, as it cooks faster.
Per serving: about 15 kcal more, about 1 g less protein, about the same fat.
A vegetarian hard cheese on top
Sharper and drier.
Per serving: about the same energy, about 2 g more protein, about 1 g less fat.
Unsweetened soya milk
Sets in the same way.
Per serving: about 5 kcal less, about the same protein, about the same fat.
Allergens: Adds soya. The cheeses still contain milk.
Estimated nutrition
Per standard serving, calculated from the ingredients above. Nutrition changes with substitutions, brands and how much oil stays in the pan.
A gratin built on a cottage cheese custard rather than cream, which is why the fat is modest and the protein high for a potato dish.
| Energy | 410 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 28 g |
| Fat | 18 g |
| of which saturates | 7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 35 g |
| of which sugars | 7 g |
| Fibre | 4 g |
| Sodium | 570 mg |
Show calculation notes
Each ingredient’s weight is multiplied by its USDA FoodData Central values per 100 g. The whole recipe is added up and divided by 2. Raw weights are used for meat, fish and vegetables; beans and lentils are drained weights. All of the oil is counted as eaten. Added salt is not included; sodium from stock, bread, cheese and tinned food is.
| Ingredient | Weight used | Source | Energy | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| potatoes | 300 g | FDC 170026Potatoes, flesh and skin, raw | 231 kcal | 6.1 g |
| olive oil | 4.5 g | FDC 171413Oil, olive, salad or cooking | 40 kcal | 0.0 g |
| spinach | 120 g | FDC 168462Spinach, raw | 28 kcal | 3.4 g |
| cottage cheese | 200 g | FDC 172179Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd | 196 kcal | 22.2 g |
| eggs | 110 g | FDC 171287Egg, whole, raw, fresh | 160 kcal | 14.1 g |
| milk | 83 g | FDC 171267Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D | 41 kcal | 2.7 g |
| cheddar | 30 g | FDC 173414Cheese, cheddar (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) | 121 kcal | 6.9 g |
| Whole recipe | Divided by 2 | 817 kcal | 55.5 g |
Per serving the energy is rounded to the nearest 5 kcal, grams to the nearest whole gram and sodium to the nearest 10 mg. Calculation method 1.0, September 2026. How the calculation works.
Storage and reheating
- In the fridge
- Cool, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Eat within 3 to 4 days. It cuts cleanly cold and reheats well.
- In the freezer
- Freezing keeps food safe indefinitely; the texture is best if it is eaten sooner rather than later.
- Reheating
- Reheat until it reaches 74°C / 165°F, steaming hot throughout.
Checked against US Food and Drug Administration, Refrigerator and Freezer Storage Chart, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Leftovers and Food Safety, FoodSafety.gov, Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures and FoodSafety.gov, Cold Food Storage Chart. UK guidance from the Food Standards Agency is shorter, at two days for most leftovers.
Try another recipe
Mushroom and lentil cottage pie
A savoury mushroom-lentil filling with a soft potato topping.
About 1 hr · 360 kcal · 20 g protein per serving
Vegetarian