Stuffed Shells

5 from 1 vote

These over-stuffed jumbo pasta shells filled with a delicious mixture of cheese, sauce and delicious seasonings and then baked to perfection.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Total Time45

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 315kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

24 Barilla Jumbo Shells
23 oz Prego Marinara Sauce divided
2 cups ricotta cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese finely grated or chopped
1 egg
3 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1½ cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese chopped small
Chopped parsley for garnish optional

Instructions

First you want to cook your noodles. (Barilla was the best brand I found for this recipe because the noodles are larger and hold their shape the most consistently and cook the same every time. A lot of the off brands cooked at drastically different times and often fell apart. The ridges on Barilla are very defined and add a pretty texture to the dish while also making a stable home for the delicious ricotta filling.)
Cook pasta shells based on directions on the box in water with 5 tsp of salt. The water should taste like salt water! This is a great way to start infusing flavor into the noodles from the beginning of the cooking process!
The noodles are typically done after around 9 minutes. You want the noodles to be al dente (fairly soft but also still firm to the bite).
Drain and rinse IMMEDIATELY in cold water, this is key in helping the noodles stop continuing to cook which can lead to mushiness. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray the bottom of a 9x13x3 pan with nonstick spray.
Place 1 and ½ cups of Prego marinara sauce (this brand is great because it doesn’t get watery like a lot of other marinaras during the time in the oven) in the bottom of the pan. Spread the sauce out evenly with a spatula.
In a medium bowl stir together the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and onion powder. Place this mixture in a Ziploc bag and snip off the end or use a pastry bag with a medium sized plain round tip.
Pipe the filling into the ricotta shells one at a time as you hold them in your hand. Be sure and open the shells wide so you can fill them with as much ricotta filling as they can hold. Once filled, place the shells in your prepared 9x13 pan.
Top with the remaining marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese as evenly as possible.
Cover your pan top entirely with aluminum foil and place in the oven on the bottom rack.
Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling around the edge of the pan and the cheese is melted.
Next remove the foil and move the pan to the top rack and continue cooking uncovered. (Turn the oven to 450 degrees and cook for approximately 5-7 min or until the cheese starts to slightly show golden bubbles on top.)
Remove and serve immediately. Shells change shape and flatten if you let them rest for very long. They’re great with a fresh or dried parsley or basil garnish and some fresh shredded parmesan on top!

Notes

TIPS

The water used to cook the pasta should taste like salt water. This is a great way to start infusing flavor into the noodles from the beginning of the cooking process.
In order for the noodles to be just right, it’s really important that they are cooked to al dente (fairly soft but also still firm to the bite) and immediately rinsed with cold water. This is key in helping the noodles stop continuing to cook which can lead to mushiness.
If you like it really saucy, you can double up the sauce amount that’s called for in the ingredients list!
Shells change shape and flatten if you let them rest for very long. Serve immediately. They’re great with a fresh or dried parsley or basil garnish and some fresh shredded parmesan on top!
Double the recipe and freeze half for another meal! You can freeze them for up to 3 months.

Nutrition