Stuffed Shells Recipe

These stuffed shells are filled with three types of cheese, then covered in marinara sauce and more cheese and baked to golden brown perfection. A comfort food classic that’s great for feeding a crowd!

When I’m looking for an easy meal that will please both kids and adults alike, I turn to baked spaghetti, lasagna roll ups, or these ultra cheesy stuffed shells.

Stuffed shells are a popular dish for good reason – they’re hearty and elegant looking, yet easy to make. And who can resist all of that cheese? This version uses ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with zesty marinara sauce, for a totally satisfying meal.

Start this dish by boiling your pasta shells. While the shells are cooking, prepare the filling by mixing together ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, along with seasonings and egg. Use a spoon or piping bag to fill each cooked shell with the cheese mixture. Pour marinara sauce into the bottom of a baking dish, then arrange the shells on top of the sauce. Spoon more sauce over the shells, then sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Bake the pasta covered, then uncovered until browned and bubbly. Add a sprinkle of fresh parsley, then serve and enjoy.

This is a classic version of baked shells with a cheese filling, but you can add a variety of ingredients to this dish to customize it to your tastes.

This dish will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. Assemble the shells, then cover tightly and freeze. When you’re ready to eat, bake the shells from frozen and be sure to add another 30 minutes to the cooking time. You can also freeze individual sized portions of leftover shells that have already been cooked. Reheat previously baked shells in the microwave in 90 second intervals until heated through.

Stuffed shells will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, which makes them a great candidate for meal prep. You can store your baked shells in the pan with foil to cover, or transfer them to an airtight container.

Classic Stuffed Shells

These stuffed shells are filled with three types of cheese, then covered in marinara sauce and more cheese and baked to golden brown perfection. A comfort food classic that’s great for feeding a crowd!

Prep: 25min

Total: 55min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 488 kcal, Carbohydrate 35 g, Protein 30 g, Fat 26 g, Saturated Fat 15 g, Cholesterol 115 mg, Sodium 1193 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 7 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 24 jumbo pasta shells (cooked according to package directions)
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (divided use)
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3 cups marinara sauce (divided use)
• 2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
• cooking spray

Instruction:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9″x13″ baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce in an even layer in the bottom of the pan.
3. Place the ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, egg, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Stir to combine.
4. Fill each shell with the ricotta mixture and place in the baking dish.
5. Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the shells, then sprinkle the other 1 1/2 cups of cheese over the top.
6. Cover the dish with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover the pan, then bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown.
7. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.

Stuffed Shells

These spinach and ricotta stuffed shells are such a comforting, flavorful dinner! To get ahead, you can stuff the shells and place them in the baking dish with the marinara up to 4 hours in advance. Cover with foil and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Then, just bake and eat!

Prep: 20min

Ingredients:

• 18 to 20 jumbo pasta shells
• Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
• 5 ounces spinach
• 2 cups (16 ounces) ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese (more for sprinkling)
• 2 garlic cloves (grated)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt (more for the pasta water)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups Marinara Sauce* (plus more for serving)
• chopped parsley (for serving)

Instruction:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Place the spinach in a steamer basket and set over a pot with 1-inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and let steam for 1 minute, until the spinach is wilted. Transfer to a strainer and squeeze out the excess water and chop the spinach.
3. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta shells for 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain and drizzle with a little olive oil to keep them from sticking together.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the spinach with the ricotta, pecorino, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
5. Spread the marinara in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Stuff each shell with the filling and place in the dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with more marinara on the side.

Stuffed Shells

Total: 0 1 0

Yield: 8 servings

Serving Size: 1 of 8 servings

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 of 8 servings, calories 648, Fat 34g, Saturated Fat 20g, Carbohydrate 45g, Fiber 5g, Sugar 11g, Protein 39g, Cholesterol 134mg, Sodium 1587mg

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt
• 8 ounces jumbo pasta shells
• 30 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 12 leaves fresh basil, cut into chiffonade
• 1 large egg
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces Parmesan, grated
• 2 jars good-quality marinara sauce
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
• Crusty French bread, for serving

Instruction:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook for half the cooking time on the package; make sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, Romano, parsley, basil, egg, some salt and pepper and half of the Parmesan. Stir until combined.
4. To assemble, coat the bottom of a baking dish with some sauce. Fill each half-cooked shell with the cheese mixture and place face-down on the sauce. Repeat with the shells until the cheese mixture is gone. Top the shells with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle on the mozzarella and extra Parmesan.
5. Bake until hot and bubbly, 25 minutes. Serve with crusty French bread.

Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells (Conchiglioni)

Recipe VIDEO above. There’s no need to mess around stuffing hot floppy shells. Just stuff uncooked jumbo pasta shells and bake in loads of sauce! Bonus: The shells absorb the flavour of the sauce, and there’s plenty of tasty sauce for serving. Because nobody likes dry pasta shells!

Prep: 25min

Total: 60min

Yield: 5

Serving Size: 407 g

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 407 g, calories 798 kcal, Carbohydrate 69 g, Protein 43 g, Fat 39 g, Saturated Fat 20 g, Trans Fat 0.004 g, Cholesterol 145 mg, Sodium 1716 mg, Fiber 8 g, Sugar 14 g, unSaturated Fat 15 g

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 eschallots/shallots or 1 small onion (, finely chopped (Note 1))
• 4 garlic cloves (, finely minced)
• 1 bay leaf (, fresh (sub dried))
• 1/2 tsp each dried thyme and oregano
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 700g / 25 oz tomato passata (US: tomato sauce) ((Note 2))
• 1/3 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine ((sub more stock))
• 4 cups vegetable stock/broth (, low sodium)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp white sugar
• 1/3 tsp black pepper
• 250g / 8 oz frozen chopped spinach (, thawed (Note 3))
• 500g / 1 lb ricotta (, full fat please (Note 4))
• 1/2 cup parmesan (, finely shredded)
• 1 cup shredded cheese ((Mozzarella, Colby, Cheddar, Tasty, Gruyere, Swiss, anything!))
• 1 egg
• 1 large garlic clove (, minced)
• Grated fresh nutmeg (just a sprinkling) ( or 1/8 tsp nutmeg powder (optional))
• 3/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 250g / 8 oz jumbo pasta shells (conchiglioni) ((Note 3))
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup parmesan (, shredded)
• Fresh basil and parmesan (, for garnish (optional))

Instruction:

1. Simmer – Add passata, stock, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir then simmer on low *(uncovered) for 20 minutes. Use while hot.
2. Mix filling – Place spinach in a bowl with remaining Filling ingredients. Mix well.
3. Serve, garnished with extra parmesan and basil if desired!

Extra Cheesy STUFFED SHELLS RECIPE

FAQ

What goes well with stuffed shells?

• Onion Rings.
• Stuffed Peppers.
• Cobb Salad.
• Quinoa salad.
• Steamed Broccoli.
• Deviled Eggs.
• Apple Bread.
• Roasted Carrots.

Do you cook pasta shells before stuffing?

Why do stuffed shells get watery?

What are the giant stuffed shells called?