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Stuffed Shells Recipe
Stuffed shells filled with a flavorful three-cheese ricotta mixture, fresh herbs, and garlic, all baked in homemade marinara sauce. This comforting, extra-cheesy dish comes together in about 45 minutes and delivers the best results thanks to the rich filling and from-scratch sauce. Includes helpful tips plus storage and freezer options.
Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Total
50 min
Serves
6
Instructions
- 01
Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- 02
TIP: salt pasta cooking water well to infuse it with more flavor.TIP: this recipe makes about 18 stuffed shells but cook a few extra shells just in case some rip and break apart. (And they will!)
- 03
Cook jumbo shells pasta according to the package instructions until they are al dente. You want the shells to be just slightly under-cooked because they will finish cooking in the oven.
- 04
Once cooked, strain, and set aside to cool down enough to be handled.
- 05
While pasta is cooking, mix the filling.
- 06
Combine ricotta cheese, egg, herbs, pressed garlic, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and seasoning in a mixing bowl. Use a fork to mix everything well, until all ingredients are evenly incorporated throughout. (Remember, some of the mozzarella will be for topping.)
- 07
Spread about 3 cups of marinara sauce over the bottom of the 9×13 baking dish and spread it evenly.
- 08
Fill each shell with about 1.5-2 tablespoons of ricotta filling and place it in the pan.
- 09
TIP: make sure to place the stuffed shells in the baking dish seam up and keep them straight to prevent the filling from leaking out.
- 10
Sprinkle some Mozzarella cheese and oregano over each shell and bake for about 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and edges are bubbling.
Nutrition
per serving · 1 serving
- Calories
- 454
- Protein
- 27g
- Carbs
- 39g
- Fat
- 21g
- Fiber
- 3g
- Sugar
- 6g
- Sat. fat
- 12g
- Sodium
- 1085mg
- Cholesterol
- 98mg
Variations & swaps
Recipe Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- This is a very straight forward recipe, most ingredients you may already have in the pantry. I want to highlight the important ingredients and offer some substitution options:
- Pasta – make sure to get jumbo shells that are meant for stuffing. Get a package that’s about 10-12 oz so that you have a few extras to cook in case some break during cooking. If you can’t find jumbo shells, manicotti/cannelloni tubes (manicotti is very similar to stuffed shells).
- The Filling: use whole milk ricotta and whole milk shredded mozzarella cheese. Using whole milk cheese will give you a rich and creamy filling. You can also add more flavor by adding cheeses like Asiago, Romano, or Fontina. Dried oregano and fresh basil and fresh parsley will create a great aroma and flavor. If you have to, you can also use all dried herbs just half the amount. If needed, you c…
- Pasta Sauce – of course, it’s always best to use homemade marinara sauce, but you can also use your favorite store-bought one. After testing many sauces, I like La San Marzano Marinara Sauce or Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce. For a more budget friendly option, Whole Foods has a pretty good sauce, 365 Organic Marinara.
Variations
- Meats: A way to add some meat is to mix in about 1/2 lb. of cooked seasoned ground beef, crumbled Italian sausage, chopped rotisserie chicken, or another leftover chicken right into the filling. To make it extra meaty, try to combine Bolognese sauce with some homemade marinara sauce.
- Spinach and Vegetables: You can sauté an onion and 5 oz of spinach, drain well, and mix it into the filling. You can also sauté any combination of veggies like onions, carrots, bell peppers, and mushrooms, drain them after sautéing and mix it into the filling. Keep veggies to about 1- 1.5 cups combined for the filling. DO drain off excess liquids from cooked veggies.
- Pesto drizzle: if you love fresh basil pesto, add a pesto drizzle to baked shells.
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