Description
Easy Stuffed Shells Pasta is a comforting Italian-inspired dish filled with creamy ricotta and melty mozzarella cheese, baked in rich marinara sauce. This stuffed shells recipe is perfect for family dinners, meal prep, or freezing. Ideal for pasta lovers looking for easy yet impressive comfort food.
Ingredients
20 jumbo pasta shells
15 oz ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried Italian herbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 cups marinara sauce
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta shells until al dente. Drain and lay them out to cool.
3. In a bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper until smooth.
4. Fill each shell with the cheese mixture using a spoon or piping bag.
5. Spread 1 cup of marinara on the bottom of a baking dish.
6. Arrange stuffed shells open-side-up over the sauce.
7. Spoon remaining marinara sauce on top of the shells.
8. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella over the top.
9. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
10. Uncover and bake for another 10–15 minutes until golden and bubbly.
11. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.
Notes
This dish can be made ahead and frozen before baking.
You can add spinach, ground beef, or sausage to the filling for variation.
Don’t overboil the shells—al dente helps them hold together during stuffing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 670mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 70mg