Description
Classic Stuffed Shells are a comforting Italian-American dish featuring jumbo pasta shells filled with a creamy ricotta and mozzarella cheese mixture, seasoned with Italian herbs and baked in a flavorful marinara sauce. This hearty casserole is perfect for family dinners and is simple to prepare using basic ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 24 jumbo pasta shells, cooked according to package directions
Cheese Filling
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Sauce and Topping
- 3 cups marinara sauce, divided use
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Other
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking pan evenly with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Spread sauce: Pour and spread 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce in an even layer on the bottom of the prepared baking dish to create a flavorful base for the shells.
- Make cheese filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, egg, salt, pepper, and grated parmesan cheese. Stir thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and well-blended.
- Fill shells: Carefully fill each cooked jumbo pasta shell with the ricotta cheese mixture, making sure each shell is generously stuffed but not overfilled.
- Assemble in dish: Arrange the filled shells in a single layer inside the baking dish on top of the marinara sauce.
- Add remaining sauce and cheese: Spoon the remaining 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce evenly over the stuffed shells. Then, sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese over the top to cover.
- Bake covered: Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes to heat through and let flavors meld.
- Uncover and brown: Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese on top is melted and beginning to brown, indicating the dish is ready.
- Garnish and serve: Remove from the oven, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley for a burst of color and flavor, then serve warm.
Notes
- Under cook the pasta shells by 1-2 minutes as they will finish cooking during baking. This prevents them from becoming too soft or mushy.
- Using whole milk ricotta and mozzarella cheeses provides creaminess, but part-skim options can reduce calories if desired.
- Grate your own cheese rather than using pre-shredded, as freshly grated melts smoother without anti-caking agents.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 4 shells)
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
