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Home » Dinner » Classic Stuffed Shells

Classic Stuffed Shells

Created: February 19, 2020 Updated: June 4, 2020 by lyuba 115 Comments

195.4K shares
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Classic Ricotta Stuffed Shells made with flavorful three cheese ricotta filling and homemade marinara sauce. This stuffed shells recipe is extra cheesy and made with fresh herbs and garlic flavors. The whole dish will take about 45 minutes to prepare but the shells can also be stuffed ahead of time. 

I always recommend to prepare your own Marinara Sauce and it can easily be made ahead of time. Make an extra batch of the sauce to have enough for some Homemade Lasagna as well. 

Stuffed Shells made with flavorful three cheese ricotta filling and homemade marinara sauce. This stuffed shells recipe is extra cheesy and made with fresh herbs and garlic flavors. #pasta #stuffedshells #meatless #ricotta

STUFFED SHELLS

So much comfort in one easy pasta dish. Jumbo pasta shells are stuffed with a delicious three cheese mixture of ricotta cheese, shredded whole milk Mozzarella cheese, and fresh grated Parmesan cheese. To give the filling some extra flavor, I love to add some fresh herbs like basil and parsley. Don’t forget a dash of oregano and some fresh garlic. 

These tasty ricotta stuffed shells are baked in some amazing homemade marinara sauce. If you don’t have time to make your own sauce, you can always make the sauce ahead of time and keep it in the fridge, in an air-tight jar. Or, you can use your favorite store-bought sauce to make it super simple. 

Of course, the cheesier the dish the better, so save some Mozzarella sauce to sprinkle on top of the stuffed shells before baking. Add a sprinkle of oregano over the top as well and bake until hot and bubbly. 

It’s pure, comforting joy in less than an hour!

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Classic Stuffed Shells made with flavorful three cheese ricotta filling and homemade marinara sauce. This stuffed shells recipe is extra cheesy and made with fresh herbs and garlic flavors. #pasta #stuffedshells #meatless #ricotta

HOW TO MAKE STUFFED SHELLS

There are four basic steps to making stuffed shells – cook pasta, prepare ricotta filling, stuff shells, and bake them. 

Preheat the oven to 350° and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.

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. Once cooked, strain and set aside to cool down enough to be handled.

TIP: this recipe makes about 18 stuffed shells but cook 2-3 extra shells just in case some rip and break apart.

While pasta is cooking, mix the filling. Combine ricotta cheese, egg, herbs, 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.

Spread about 3 cups of marinara sauce over the bottom of the 9×13 baking dish and spread it evenly. 

Fill each shell with about 1.5-2 tablespoons of ricotta filling and place it in the pan. 

TIP: I don’t like to place shells seam down because the filling often leaks out of the shells, so place shells in the pan seam up. 

Sprinkle some Mozzarella cheese, oregano, and parsley over each shell and bake for about 20-25 minutes. 

Leftover shells should be covered air-tight and refrigerated. Cooked stuffed shells will last 3-5 days in the refrigerator.

Ricotta Stuffed Shells made with flavorful three cheese ricotta filling and homemade marinara sauce. This stuffed shells recipe is extra cheesy and made with fresh herbs and garlic flavors. #pasta #stuffedshells #meatless #ricotta

CAN STUFFED SHELLS BE MADE AHEAD?

Absolutely! Stuffed shells can be prepped ahead of time and refrigerated. Cook jumbo shells and stuff each shell with the ricotta filling. Place them in an air-tight container or in a baking dish that can be covered with plastic wrap. Make sure it’s covered tight and refrigerate for a day or so.

I wouldn’t recommend making stuffed shells any more than a day ahead. 

When ready, nestle shells in marinara sauce, in a baking dish, and sprinkle Mozzarella cheese and herbs on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes. 

Stuffed Shells made with flavorful three cheese ricotta filling and homemade marinara sauce. This stuffed shells recipe is extra cheesy and made with fresh herbs and garlic flavors. #pasta #stuffedshells #meatless #ricotta

HOW TO FREEZE STUFFED SHELLS

You have several options for freezing stuffed shells. It can be frozen with or without sauce. You can bake it straight from the freezer or let it slow-thaw for several hours first. 

TIP: if you are planning on freezing stuffed shells, prepare them right in the aluminum foil baking dish. This will make it easy to cover and freeze, and then bake.

To freeze stuffed shells without sauce:

Cook jumbo shells and stuff each shell with the ricotta filling. Place them in an aluminum baking dish and let shells freeze for about 2 hours. Once shells are frozen, you can transfer them into a large freezer zip-lock bag or a freezer container with a lid.

When ready to bake, nestle frozen shells in marinara sauce in a baking dish and sprinkle Mozzarella cheese and herbs on top. Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take off the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

To freeze stuffed shells with sauce:

To freeze stuffed shells with sauce is even easier. Use aluminum foil baking dish to prepare the shells.   

Prepare stuffed shells according to the recipe up to the step of baking. Instead of baking it, wrap it tight and freeze. I recommend double wrapping the pan with a layer of plastic wrap all around and then a layer of aluminum foil all around. Make it air-tight.

Label and place in the freezer. Stuffed shells can be frozen for 3-5 months. 

To bake frozen stuffed shells, you can either bake them frozen or let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight or up to 12 hours. 

If you are going to bake shells frozen, take off the plastic wrap and cover the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil. Bake for 60 minutes. Take off the foil and bake for another 10 minutes or so.

Stuffed Shells made with flavorful three cheese ricotta filling and homemade marinara sauce. This stuffed shells recipe is extra cheesy and made with fresh herbs and garlic flavors. #pasta #stuffedshells #meatless #ricotta

SOME MORE COMFORTING RECIPES TO TRY:

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Baked Penne

Roasted Garlic Creamy Fettuccine

Baked Mac and Cheese

Easy Garlic Butter Gnocchi

Ricotta Stuffed Shells made with flavorful three cheese ricotta filling and homemade marinara sauce. This stuffed shells recipe is extra cheesy and made with fresh herbs and garlic flavors. #pasta #stuffedshells #meatless #ricotta

If you made any of my recipes and shared them on Instagram, make sure to tag me @willcookforsmiles and #willcookforsmiles so I can see all the things you tried!

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Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Classic Ricotta Stuffed Shells made with flavorful three cheese ricotta filling and homemade marinara sauce. This stuffed shells recipe is extra cheesy and made with fresh herbs and garlic flavors. 
4.34 from 108 votes
Print SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: jumbo shells, meatless, pasta, ricotta, Stuffed shells
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6 (makes 18 stuffed shells)
Calories: 454kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 cup marinara sauce

Pasta:

  • 8 oz jumbo shells 18 shells but throw in a few extras
  • salt
  • fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

Ricotta filling:

  • 15 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 8 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese divided
  • 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp minced parsley fresh or dry
  • 1 tbsp minced basil fresh or dry
  • 1 tsp dry oregano
  • salt
  • fresh cracked black pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves pressed

Topping:

  • Mozzarella cheese
  • dry oregano
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350° and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.

Pasta:

  • TIP: season water that pasta is cooked in to infuse it with more flavor.
    TIP: this recipe makes about 18 stuffed shells but cook 2-3 extra shells just in case some rip and break apart.
  • 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. 
  • Once cooked, strain, and set aside to cool down enough to be handled.

Ricotta filling:

  • While pasta is cooking, mix the filling. 
  • 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. (Set aside about 1/3 cup of shredded Mozzarella for topping.)

Baking:

  • Spread about 3 cups of marinara sauce over the bottom of the 9×13 baking dish and spread it evenly. 
  • Fill each shell with about 1.5-2 tablespoons of ricotta filling and place it in the pan. 
  • TIP: I don’t like to place shells seam down because the filling often leaks out of the shells, so place shells in the pan seam up. 
  • Sprinkle some Mozzarella cheese and oregano over each shell and bake for about 20-25 minutes. 

Video

Notes

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have a slight variation.

Nutrition

Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 1085mg | Potassium: 622mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1285IU | Vitamin C: 9.9mg | Calcium: 470mg | Iron: 2.5mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles

Stuffed Shells

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on February 19, 2019. Updated May 10, 2020.

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

195.4K shares

Filed Under: Dinner, Italian, Pasta, Popular Posts

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. Amy says

    November 13, 2021 at 3:55 pm

    Do you cover the pan with foil when baking?

    Reply
  2. Tracy says

    January 4, 2022 at 12:54 am

    Is there anything that can be used instead of ricotta? My dad’s not a fan of ricotta and I want to make this as a surprise for him

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      January 11, 2022 at 3:52 pm

      If your dad doesn’t like ricotta I would go with different ones because no other cheese tastes the same taste the same with the texture. But you can look at my other stuff shells recipe I will list them under this comment or you can message me on Facebook and we can come up with some ideas for fillings.

      Cheesy Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells
      https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/cheesy-pesto-chicken-stuffed-shells/

      Seafood Alfredo Stuffed Shells
      https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/seafood-alfredo-stuffed-shells/

      Reply
      • Linda says

        January 24, 2023 at 2:45 pm

        You can use cottage cheese or tofu! I have used tofu many times to stretch my ricotta filling! The tofu takes on the flavor of whatever it is mixed with!! Cottage cheese, use the smaller curds!!

        Reply
    • Grandma Sue says

      October 3, 2022 at 11:12 am

      My husband doesn’t care for ricotta either. I substitute with small curd cottage cheese. Works essentially the same (though I sometimes use half cottage and half ricotta cheese). I prefer ricotta, too, but if it’s for dad as a surprise then cottage cheese it is!

      Reply
      • LyubaB says

        October 3, 2022 at 11:15 am

        I am glad you like the recipe and are able to make everyone in the family happy. 😉

        Reply
  3. Tracy says

    January 4, 2022 at 5:48 pm

    I can’t find jumbo shells so I think I’ll get some lasagna noodles and put some stuffing on one end roll it up. Necessity is the mother of invention!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      January 10, 2022 at 9:07 am

      I think that would be really good! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Kathy says

    March 18, 2022 at 6:25 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my gosh! Made this tonight for dinner. My husband and he said it was very nice. I used his homemade gravy & diced up some of his homemade meatballs. Delish! The ricotta came from the Amish cheese house in our community. So much better than store bought. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      March 21, 2022 at 10:19 am

      Yum! I am so glad you liked the recipe, Kathy!

      Reply
  5. Julia says

    April 10, 2022 at 8:04 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing and my family loved it!!!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      April 11, 2022 at 11:02 am

      Thanks, Julia! So glad everyone liked it!

      Reply
  6. Omaha Debbie says

    April 15, 2022 at 8:25 pm

    5 stars
    This dish was awesome!! I have a tough time coming up with new meatless meals during Lent and this was perfect! I will say I cheated and used Rao’s so this dish came together in no time. Thank you for sharing! This is a keeper ☺️

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      April 21, 2022 at 11:01 am

      I am glad you liked it! Thanks for stopping by to let me know! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Angela says

    April 25, 2022 at 7:59 pm

    5 stars
    This was a great recipe for a traditional dish. So much flavor!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      April 26, 2022 at 1:49 pm

      Thanks!

      Reply
  8. Elizabeth says

    May 17, 2022 at 11:47 am

    Can I assemble this and keep it refrigerated the day before serving it and, if so, how much extra cooking time does it need?

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      May 23, 2022 at 10:32 am

      Absolutely! Stuffed shells can be prepped ahead of time and refrigerated. Cook jumbo shells and stuff each shell with the ricotta filling. Place them in an air-tight container or in a baking dish that can be covered with plastic wrap. Make sure it’s covered tight and refrigerate.

      When ready, nestle shells in marinara sauce, in a baking dish, and sprinkle Mozzarella cheese and herbs on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

      Reply
  9. S says

    June 2, 2022 at 7:29 pm

    This was a very good recipe!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      June 6, 2022 at 3:25 pm

      Thanks! I am so glad you liked it!

      Reply
  10. Brandi says

    June 23, 2022 at 9:56 pm

    Yum! I have had this recipe saved and use it frequently to satisfy my family of toddlers and hubby (my kids literally request stuffed shells often). They literally lick their plates EVERY-SINGLE-TIME! I add a cooked bag of frozen spinach to the ricotta mixture. Thank you so much for your delish recipe! Definitely going to be trying more of your recipes 😋

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      June 27, 2022 at 3:53 pm

      So glad you like it, Brandi! I do sometimes add spinach as well 🙂

      Reply
  11. Lindsey says

    August 14, 2022 at 6:53 pm

    TIP: Assemble empty shells in pan. Put cheese stuffing in gallon bag. Cut corner off and pipe it into shells. Less breakage and cleaner.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      August 15, 2022 at 11:57 am

      Good idea! Thanks for the tip, Lindsey.

      Reply
  12. Carole says

    August 31, 2022 at 10:21 pm

    5 stars
    The marinara sauce was easy and very good. I added mushrooms to the marinara sauce. The whole dish was amazing and I will be making it again.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      September 5, 2022 at 2:01 pm

      Glad you liked it, Carole!

      Reply
  13. Phyllis says

    October 19, 2022 at 3:30 pm

    We sometimes order stuffed shells when we go out to a local restaurant. So when I saw this recipe on pinterest thought I would give it a try, Really easy to make.In . In fact, it’s in the oven right now. My husband is not a big fan of ricotta cheese, but loves pasta dishes.. Let’s see how he likes it. 🙂

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      October 24, 2022 at 8:45 am

      I hope he liked it, Phyllis!

      Reply
  14. Brittney says

    October 26, 2022 at 4:46 pm

    I’m assuming 1 egg is added, I do not see it in the ingredients tho, can you clarify for me please!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      November 1, 2022 at 11:55 am

      Yes, it is one egg. All the ingredients are listed in the recipe card, the egg is listed under the Ricotta filling. Let me know if you can’t see the recipe card.

      Reply
  15. Nancy says

    November 14, 2022 at 9:17 am

    5 stars
    Best recipe I have ever used. My dinner guests loved the stuffed shells. i researched the best brand of ricotta cheese to use. I used calabro riicotta cheese. It is the creamiest – not gritty whatsoever.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      November 18, 2022 at 2:00 pm

      Thanks for that info it is very helpful and I am glad you like the recipe! 🙂

      Reply
  16. Marge says

    November 17, 2022 at 11:30 am

    My husband dislikes pasta. I want to make individual lunches for myself. How well do these freeze?

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      November 18, 2022 at 1:50 pm

      Yes, you can freeze these and they heat up very well. I go into more details above in the post on how to freeze and recook them if you want to take a look. 🙂

      Reply
  17. Jenn says

    December 6, 2022 at 1:47 pm

    5 stars
    My husband is a meat eater. He has to have a meat for every meal. I added some ground Italian sausage to this recipe. It was amazing.

    Reply
  18. Kerry S says

    December 7, 2022 at 5:00 pm

    4 stars
    Do you cover the pan with foil?

    Reply
  19. Jessica says

    December 11, 2022 at 6:45 pm

    5 stars
    I made this tonight for dinner. Only changed up the mozzarella for cheddar because that’s what I had on hand. So good! And quick to make!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      December 13, 2022 at 1:36 pm

      Glad you liked it, Jessica!

      Reply
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Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

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