Stuffed Shells

These Stuffed Shells are a great dinner to serve. Pasta shells filled with a ricotta cheese mixture and cooked in red sauce. Your kids will especially love them!

These Stuffed Shells are a favorite dinner option for my family. They are easy to make, and a different option than just serving spaghetti when you want to make pasta.

Pasta shells stuffed with a ricotta cheese filling and baked in a red sauce make this the perfect dinner. Serve with a salad and garlic bread and enjoy!

How to make Stuffed Shells:

Start by cooking your pasta shells according to box directions. You want them al dente, as they will cook more when baked in the oven.

While the noodles are cooking prepare the ricotta cheese filling and the baking dish.

Once the pasta are ready scoop the ricotta filling into the shells. Place them in the baking dish with the marinara sauce on the bottom and top with the mozzarella cheese.

Bake in the oven, serve and enjoy!

Ingredient Notes:

• Ricotta – I used regular Ricotta cheese for this, but you can use low fat if you prefer.
• Mozzarella – some for the filling and some for the topping.
• Fresh Parsley – finely chopped for topping the shells but this is optional.
• Parmesan – I used grated parmesan cheese for this recipe.
• Egg – helps hold the ricotta filling together.
• Seasoning – I used garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
• Marinara Sauce – use your favorite brand for the sauce.
• Jumbo Pasta Shells – cooked al dente.

Directions:

Step One – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 pan.

Step Two – Stir together parmesan, ricotta, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, parsley, and half the mozzarella.

Step Three – Pour the marinara sauce into the pan and spread out into an even layer.

Step Four – Fill the pasta shells and place in the pan.

Step Five – Once the shells are filled and in the pan cover with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

Step Six – Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Once done, uncover and broil for 2-5 minutes until the cheese browns.

Step Seven – Serve with extra sauce, parsley, and parmesan cheese.

Tips for making Stuffed Shells:

1. Always cook extra shells in case some break or tear.
2. You can also use fresh basil instead of the parsley.
3. This also tastes great with spinach. You can add up to 1 cup of chopped fresh spinach to the filling.

Storing and Freezing Stuffed Shells:

1. Can freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove the unbaked dish from the refrigerator and thaw overnight. Let the dish come to room temperature before baking.
2. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers for up to 5 days.

Try some of my other favorite Pasta Recipes:

Cheesy Chicken Pasta – This Cheesy Chicken Pasta is a family favorite. Pasta in a creamy and cheesy sauce. Nothing beats an easy recipe that everyone in the family loves. 

Rasta Pasta – Rasta Pasta is a cheesy, creamy pasta loaded with red, yellow, and green bell peppers and Jamaican Jerk seasoning! This colorful and flavorful pasta is my take on a traditional Jamaican dinner!

Pasta Bake – The perfect simple dinner recipe! This Pasta Bake is a favorite with my family and it’s so simple to make. 

If you tried any of my recipes I would love to hear from you, leave me a comment below. You can also connect with me on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST. I would love for you to follow along and discover more amazing recipes.

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