Recipe For Stuffed Shells
Stuffed Shells are the perfect comfort food—tender pasta shells packed with creamy ricotta, Italian herbs, and rich marinara sauce. Simple, cheesy, and so satisfying!
Servings: 6 servings
Cost: $10.06
Ingredients
- Salt and pepper
- 25 to 26 jumbo pasta shells uncooked
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese freshly shredded, divided
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 3 cups marinara sauce 1 and a half jars, or homemade marinara sauce
- Fresh basil or parsley, for topping shells, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a generous amount of salt and add the pasta shells. I usually cook a few extra in case some fall apart. Cook for half the time indicated on the package plus 1 minute. (About 5–6 minutes, depending on the package). Drain the shells and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and allow them to be easily separated. Drain off water and separate onto a sheet of parchment paper on the counter.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg with a fork. Add in ricotta cheese and mix until completely combined. Add basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, minced garlic, and salt and pepper. (I use about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.) Stir gently.
- Finely grate the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Add 2 cups of the mozzarella and all the Parmesan cheese into the cheese mixture. Gently stir to completely combine.
- Transfer this cheese mixture to a large (gallon-sized) resealable plastic bag. Snip off 1 inch of the corner of the bag and “pipe” the cheese mixture into each of the shells. Each shell should get about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture (which should fill 25–26 shells).
- Spread half the marinara sauce evenly across the bottom of a 3-quart (9x13-inch) baking dish.
- Place stuffed shells in the baking dish with the open side facing up. Pack the shells close together.
- Cover shells evenly with the remaining 2 and 1/2 cups marinara sauce. Aim to completely cover all the shells to avoid hard parts of the shells. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove foil and add the remaining 1 cup mozzarella evenly over the shells. Return to the oven for 5–7 more minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm with freshly chopped basil if desired. I also like to add a little more cracked pepper to the top!
Notes
Storage: Store cooked pasta shells for 3–5 days in the fridge. More info here. To freeze, fill all the shells with cheese and place them on a large sheet pan. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and foil and allow to freeze completely. Once frozen, transfer shells to large freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 633mg | Potassium: 144mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 606IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 494mg | Iron: 1mg