STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Stuffed Pasta Shells made with marinara sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan. Deliciously easy weeknight dinner recipe the whole family will love!

This meatless Stuffed Shells recipe is so easy to make! We love pasta and this is a classic favorite. Only a few simple ingredients are needed to prep this cheesy dish and the whole thing is ready in less than an hour.

STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Stuffed Pasta Shells are made with jumbo pasta shells. Once they are cooked, stuff them with a mixture of three cheeses and a few simple spices. Spread some marinara sauce on the bottom of a baking dish, add the stuffed shells, and then add some more marinara and mozzarella on top before baking.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS CLASSIC STUFFED SHELLS RECIPE

• Easy steps to follow. Whether you are experienced in making pasta or not, this recipe is actually pretty simple and easy to follow along with, which makes it a perfect dish for anyone to try.
• One batch makes a lot. There is no need to worry because you’ll definitely have leftovers after this dinner is over. Pasta is wonderful when reheated the next day!
• Simple ingredients. You only need a few basic kitchen staple ingredients to pull this recipe together.

What to serve with Stuffed Pasta Shells?

Stuffed Pasta Shells make an excellent main dish that pairs well with many different side dishes. We like to serve it with Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread or Easy Parmesan Garlic Dinner Rolls and a Lemon Caesar Salad. And don’t forget dessert! Layered Oreo Pudding Dessert or Easy Cherry Chocolate Cake are both great options!

Ingredients in Stuffed Pasta Shells

Jumbo pasta shells – You will need a 16-ounce box of jumbo pasta shells.

Marinara sauce – The recipe calls for 4 cups (32 ounces) of marinara sauce. You can use the kind in a jar or you can make a homemade marinara sauce if you’d like.

Ricotta cheese – Sixteen ounces of ricotta is perfect for stuffed shells. You can swap it out with cottage cheese if you’d like.

Mozzarella – You will need to add half of the mozzarella to the cheese mixture and then sprinkle the other half on top of the shells before baking.

Parmesan – Grated parmesan also pairs nicely with the other cheeses. You can use the kind from a jar or freshly grated parmesan – they both work great!

Parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt – All of these basic spices add a lot of flavor to the cheese mixture.

How to make Stuffed Pasta Shells

Preheat your oven to 375℉ and cook the shells according to package directions.

Drain the pasta shells and set aside while making the cheese mixture.

Stir together in a large bowl, the ricotta, 1 cup of mozzarella, parmesan, parsley, garlic, onion, and salt.

Spread 1 ½ cups of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish, and ½ cup of sauce on the bottom of the 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish.

Fill the shells with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture each, and then place in the baking dishes. Both dishes should be completely full.

Spoon another 1 ½ cups of sauce over the shells in the 9-inch by 13-inch dish, and another ½ cup of sauce over the 8-inch by 8-inch dish.

Sprinkle ¾ cup of shredded mozzarella over the shells in the larger dish, and ¼ cup mozzarella over the shells in the smaller dish.

Place foil over both baking dishes and bake for 20 minutes.

Carefully remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Serve while still hot.

How to store leftover stuffed shells

Leftover shells should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Leftovers can be heated in the microwave, oven, and air fryer.

Can you substitute the ricotta cheese with cottage cheese?

Absolutely! I use cottage cheese in place of ricotta cheese all the time. Cottage cheese will lower the fat content and raise the amount of protein in the recipe. You can use it straight out of the container or you can blend it until smooth before adding to the recipe if you’d like.

Can you add meat to the recipe?

This pasta dish is meatless, but you can easily add meat if you’d like. Cook a pound of ground beef or Italian sausage and add a scoop to each shell before adding the cheese mixture.

FOR MORE PASTA RECIPES, CHECK OUT THESE SUGGESTIONS!

• LASAGNA ROLLS
• BLT PASTA SALAD
• CREAMY TOMATO SOUP WITH TORTELLINI
• PIZZA PASTA CASSEROLE
• PUMPKIN FETTUCINE ALFREDO
• RED WHITE AND BLUE PASTA SALAD
• EASY ZUCCHINI PASTA
• EASY CHICKEN MANICOTTI
• CHICKEN BACON RANCH PASTA
• COPYCAT CHICK-FIL-A MAC AND CHEESE
• CREAMY GARLIC PARMESAN PASTA
• BAKED CHICKEN PARMESAN CASSEROLE
• TORTELLINI PRIMAVERA
• LASAGNA SOUP
• EASY HOMEMADE LASAGNA RECIPE

Stuffed Pasta Shells made with marinara sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan. Deliciously easy weeknight dinner recipe the whole family will love!