Stuffed Shells
Make the best Stuffed Shells for dinner tonight with this easy recipe! This cheesy baked pasta dish is a classic Italian-American recipe that's full of flavor. You can easily prep it ahead of time, or freeze an extra tray of shells for later. This is a great make-ahead meal and a recipe that the entire family will love!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces jumbo pasta shells, uncooked (approximately 35 shells)
- 32 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, click link for the recipe
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 32 ounces marinara sauce, click link for the recipe
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove. Add the jumbo shells and cook 4-5 minutes, drain, then set aside in an even layer on a cutting board to cool.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, fresh basil, Italian seasoning and salt.
- Spoon the cheese mixture into the cooked shells.
- Pour 1 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish.
- Place the filled shells in a single layer on top of the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells.
- Evenly spread the remaining two cups of shredded mozzarella cheese over the shells in the baking dish.
- Cover with foil, place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes.
Notes
- Marinara sauce: if you would prefer to cover the shells in a meat sauce, you can make my Italian sausage marinara, or bolognese sauce with ground beef.
- This dish can be assembled up to two days in advance. Cover and store it in the fridge, until you’re ready to bake the stuffed shells. You can also freeze uncooked shells for up to 6 months in the freezer. It's best to store them in an airtight container with a lid. If you don’t have a casserole dish with a lid, you can tightly cover it with two pieces of foil instead.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 725kcal (36%)Carbohydrates 58g (19%)Protein 42g (84%)Fat 37g (57%)Saturated Fat 22g (110%)Polyunsaturated Fat 2gMonounsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 156mg (52%)Sodium 1742mg (73%)Potassium 814mg (23%)Fiber 4g (16%)Sugar 8g (9%)Vitamin A 1882mg (38%)Vitamin C 11mg (13%)Calcium 719mg (72%)Iron 3mg (17%)
Did you make this recipe?Tag @WhitneyBond on Instagram and hashtag it #WBRecipes!