Stuffed Shells Recipe
This easy Stuffed Shells recipe is made with jumbo pasta shells stuffed with three types of cheese: ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Easy dinner recipe and a great freezer meal. This is a family favorite.
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STUFFED SHELLS WITH RICOTTA CHEESE
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This recipe reminds me of Sunday dinners growing up. It’s comfort food at its finest. I love this recipe so much that it is the cover of my latest cookbook Scrumptious.
It’s simple and flavorful. Although most stuffed shell recipes have almost the same ingredients, the ratios are key. Too much ricotta, too little cheese, too runny…ratios are important and these are perfect.
INGREDIENTS
- JUMBO PASTA SHELLS – Jumbo shells can be found in the pasta aisle.
- RICOTTA CHEESE – I like to use whole milk ricotta for the ricotta mixture.
- GRATED PARMESAN – You could also use a stronger flavored cheese like Pecorino Romano cheese.
- EGG
- GARLIC POWDER – Any good Italian dinner has garlic in it.
- MOZZARELLA CHEESE – There are three different kinds of cheese in these shells which makes them delicious.
- FRESH ITALIAN PARSLEY – You can also use dried parsley here.
- MARINARA – Not all tomato sauce is equal. Rao’s is my favorite and the closest to homemade sauce.
HOW TO MAKE THIS
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot of boiling water, prepare shells al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse in cool water.
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In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
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In a 9×13 baking dish, pour 1 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a baking dish and spread in an even layer.
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Take each shell and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese filling in each shell. Place in a single layer seam side up on the bottom of the baking dish.
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Pour remaining marinara sauce on top of the shells and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
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Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and filling is warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
ADDING MEAT
This is a meatless dish but you could add some cooked ground beef or Italian sausage to the marinara mixture.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS
A fresh Caesar salad is great with this or any green veggie. Garlic bread would be a great addition!
FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS:
Prepare the stuff shells until the step to bake. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to three months.
For best results, thaw frozen shells in the fridge overnight and bake according to instructions. Shells can also be baked from frozen but will need 10-15 minutes longer bake time.
OTHER PASTA RECIPES
- String Cheese Manicotti
- Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
- One-Pot Bacon Broccoli Pasta
- Creamy Sausage and Spinach Pasta
- Chicken Spaghetti
- One-Pot Creamy Sausage and Tomato Tortellini
- The Best Baked Ziti
- One-Pat Sausage and Broccoli Pasta
- Lasagna Soup
- Classic Manicotti
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Pasta Carbonara
Stuffed Shells Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces jumbo pasta shells, (about 24 shells)
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese, (you can use a 15 ounce container which will be barely short of two cups)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley , (you can sub 1 teaspoon dried parsley)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, (add pepper to taste)
- 2 cups marinara sauce, divided, (I like Rao's marinara)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot of boiling water, prepare shells according to the package directions. Drain and rinse in cool water.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
- In a 9x13 baking dish, pour 1 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the dish and spread in an even layer.
- Take each shell and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture in each shell. Place in a single layer seam side up on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Pour remaining marinara sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and filling is warm.
I will definitely try this. It looks easy enough for a plain English cook.
You got this!