Stuffed Shells Recipe

Lyuba’s Recipe Highlights

This easy stuffed shells recipe is the epitome of comfort food and has been beloved by readers and family for many years and I believe that’s because it’s simple enough but also holds so much comfort and beautiful flavor:

• I use simple ingredients but I’ve learned which ones to buy and how to manipulate them to make the best flavor and texture. I made sure highlight those in the ingredient notes.
• While, I highly recommend to make your own pasta sauce, I totally understand not having the time to do it. Luckily, tomato sauce keeps very well in the refrigerator for a few days and in the freezer for even longer. I made sure to share made ahead, freezing, and more tips on that below!
• It’s an easy recipe that even a rookie home cook could have an easy time following it.

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 can use part skip ricotta but the filling won’t be as rich and creamy.
• 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.

Tips for the Best Stuffed Shells

• If available, cook a few extra pasta shells because some will tear during the cooking and stuffing process. If you have some leftover, you can nestle them in the sauce as well, why not have a few more pasta bites.
• You can divide the shells among two smaller baking pans and cook both or cook one and freeze the other half.
• Feel free to double the recipe and it will be totally okay to use the whole 32 oz. ricotta container, a couple extra ounces of ricotta won’t hurt.

How To Make Stuffed Shells: Step-by Step and Tips

1. Cook your pasta shells in a pot of salted water until they are al dente (slightly undercooked). 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.

PRO TIP: this recipe makes about 18 stuffed pasta shells but cook 3-4 extra shells just in case some rip and break apart. (And you can always throw in the broken ones into the sauce and just eat it as pasta.)

2. While pasta is cooking, mix your filling until all ingredients are evenly incorporated throughout. Make sure egg is well mixed into ricotta filling. This is a great time saver, to work on different elements at the same time.

3. Spread about 3 cups of marinara sauce over the bottom of the 9×13 baking dish and spread it evenly. The reason I recommend using a baking pan (not a cast iron skillet) is because of the acidic tomato sauce. If your skillet is not property and well seasoned, the acid will eat away at the metal leaching it into the food.
4. Fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons of ricotta filling and place it in the sauce, in the pan. 

PRO TIP: Make sure to place stuffed shells in the pan seam up or all the filling will leak out.

5. Sprinkle some Mozzarella cheese, oregano, and parsley on top before baking! The more cheese, the better, I always say! Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese on top is melted and just beginning to turn golden brown at the edges.

Troubleshooting and Tips for Best Results

I’ve gathered a few common questions and concerns that readers and wanted to address them:

• Shells are tearing or falling apart – Make sure to cook the pasta just until al dente, which is slightly undercooked. Overcooked shells become too soft and fragile to stuff but too undercooked can crack. It also helps to cook a few extra since some break naturally.
• Filling is too runny/watery – This usually comes from excess moisture in the ricotta or add-ins. Use whole milk ricotta and avoid overmixing. If you use substitutions like cottage cheese, drain it well first. When you first open the ricotta, drain off the accumulated liquids.
  • If you notice that your filling is too thin, you can mix in some more grated parmesan cheese.
• Shells are dry after baking – There may not be enough sauce. Be generous with marinara on the bottom of the dish and consider spooning a little over the top before baking to keep everything moist.
• Filling is bland – Don’t skip seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs make a big difference. Taste the filling before stuffing and adjust salt as needed. Most common mistake is under-salting.
• Watery dish after baking – Too much liquid in the filling or sauce can cause this. Avoid overly watery marinara and drain ricotta before mixing.

Make Ahead Instructions

You’ll be happy to know that I’ve tested this recipe extensively because I, myself, like to make them ahead of time. This is how I do it in my kitchen:

• Prepare the stuffed shells per recipe but do not bake. Cover the baking dish air-tight and refrigerate for a day or so.
• I wouldn’t recommend making stuffed shells any more than 1 day ahead. 
• When ready, take the dish out of the refrigerator and take off the covering. Let it sit on the counter while the oven preheats and sprinkle mozzarella cheese and herbs on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes. 

Storing, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions

I shared this recipe originally over 6 years ago and one of the most common questions I’ve gotten have to do with freezing them. I want to break down the best ways of storing and warm it up, in addition to freezing:

• Storing: You can store the shells in the same baking dish. Cool it to room temperature, cover air-tight and refrigerate for about 3-4 days.
• To reheat (microwave): reheat individual portions in the microwave until heated through.
• To reheat (oven): preheat the oven to 350°F, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, and reheat for 15-25 minutes, until just heated through.

Expert 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 unbaked stuffed shells with sauce: Use aluminum foil baking dish to prepare the shells up to the step of baking. Wrap it air-tight with plastic food wrap and foil and freeze. 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 for up to 24 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 in foil and then 10 minutes without foil.
• To freeze baked stuffed shells: make sure to cool completely. Transfer into aluminum baking pan in one single layer, in sauce. Wrap air-tight with plastic wrap and foil. Label and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Reheat per instructions above.

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.

What To Serve With Stuffed Pasta Shells

• Garlic bread is a perfect side for this dish. These homemade Parmesan garlic and herb breadsticks and garlic butter Parmesan herb biscuits will hit the spot.
• You can also serve stuffed shells with a simple side salad with Italian dressing, or a Caesar salad, or roasted asparagus.
• My Italian meatballs are extremely popular and perfect for adding protein. 

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Some Italian Pasta Recipes To Try

• Cheesy Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells
• Baked Ziti
• Classic Manicotti
• Seafood Alfredo Stuffed Shells
• Instant Pot Spaghetti

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on February 19, 2019.