These stuffed shells are filled with three types of cheese, then covered in marinara sauce and more cheese and baked to golden brown perfection. A comfort food classic that’s great for feeding a crowd!
When I’m looking for an easy meal that will please both kids and adults alike, I turn to baked spaghetti, lasagna roll ups, or these ultra cheesy stuffed shells.
Stuffed shells are a popular dish for good reason – they’re hearty and elegant looking, yet easy to make. And who can resist all of that cheese? This version uses ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, along with zesty marinara sauce, for a totally satisfying meal.
Enjoy these shells with side dishes like garlic knots, prosciutto wrapped asparagus or Italian salad.
Table of Contents
Stuffed Shells Ingredients
When you make these stuffed shells you will need jumbo pasta shells, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, an egg, parmesan cheese, marinara sauce, parsley, salt and black pepper.
How Do You Make Stuffed Shells?
Start this stuffed shells recipe by boiling your pasta shells. While the shells cook, prepare the filling by mixing together ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, along with seasonings and egg in a large bowl. Use a spoon or piping bag to fill each cooked shell with the cheese mixture. Next, pour a layer of marinara sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange the shells on top of the sauce. Spoon more marinara sauce over the shells, then sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Bake the pasta covered for 20 minutes, remove the cover and bake until browned and bubbly. Add a sprinkle of fresh parsley, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Stuffed Shells
- I prefer to use whole milk ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, but if you’re looking to save a few calories, you can use part skim.
- Skip the pre-shredded bags of cheese and grate your own cheese instead. I find that the pre-grated cheeses at the store tend to be coated with anti-caking agents and preservatives, and do not melt as smoothly.
- Feel free to use store bought marinara sauce or you can make your own homemade marinara sauce.
- If you purchase marinara sauce, choose a high quality jarred marinara sauce. I typically use Newman’s Own, Rao’s or Classico brands.
- Purchase an Italian seasoning mix or make your own Italian seasoning with herbs like basil, oregano, parsley and thyme.
- You can assemble this dish up to 8 hours before you plan to bake it. Cover the dish with foil and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. You may need to add another 10 minutes to the baking time to compensate for starting with chilled pasta.
Quick Tip
Be sure to undercook your shells by 1-2 minutes because they will continue to cook when they go into the oven. You want your shells to be a little more firm than al dente when you fill them.
Recipe FAQs
Stuffed shells will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. Assemble the shells, then cover tightly and freeze. When you’re ready to eat, bake the shells from frozen and be sure to add another 30 minutes to the cooking time. You can also freeze individual sized portions of leftover shells that have already been cooked. Reheat previously baked shells in the microwave in 90 second intervals until heated through.
Stuffed shells will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, which makes them a great candidate for meal prep. You can store your baked shells in the pan with foil to cover, or transfer them to an airtight container.
You should bake stuffed shells at 375 degrees F.
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Flavor Variations
This is a classic version of baked shells with a cheese filling, but you can add a variety of ingredients to this dish to customize it to your taste.
- Protein: Stir 8 ounces of cooked crumbled ground beef, Italian sausage or ground turkey into the cheese mixture. You can also try using shredded cooked chicken.
- Vegetables: Add up to 1 cup of veggies to the cheese filling such as spinach, mushrooms, onions, red bell peppers, broccoli, zucchini or kale. Make sure to finely chop the vegetables and cook them before they go into the mix.
- Sauce: Swap out the marinara sauce for creamy Alfredo sauce or use a hearty bolognese style meat sauce instead.
- Cheese: You can use other types of cheese instead of the three I’ve listed, such as cream cheese, small curd cottage cheese, provolone, fontina, asiago or romano.
- Garlic: Feel free to add two teaspoons of minced garlic to your cheese filling.
Give these stuffed shells a try! They are easy to make and a real crowd-pleaser that will have everyone asking for more!
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Stuffed Shells Video
Love This Recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Classic Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 24 jumbo pasta shells cooked according to package directions
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided use
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 cups marinara sauce divided use
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9″x13″ baking pan with cooking spray.
- Spread 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce in an even layer in the bottom of the pan.
- Place the ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, egg, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Stir to combine.
- Fill each shell with the ricotta mixture and place in the baking dish.
- Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the shells, then sprinkle the other 1 1/2 cups of cheese over the top.
- Cover the dish with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover the pan, then bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown.
- Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.
Notes
- Be sure to undercook your shells by 1-2 minutes because they will continue to cook when they go into the oven. You want your shells to be a little more firm than al dente when you fill them.
- I prefer to use whole milk ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, but if you’re looking to save a few calories, you can use part skim.
- Skip the pre-shredded bags of cheese and grate your own instead. I find that the pre-grated cheeses at the store tend to be coated with anti-caking agents and preservatives, and do not melt as smoothly.
This recipe is a staple in the cooler months. I also make it when my in-laws are staying with us. My husband loves vodka sauce so I usually use that and add some fresh basil on top when the bake is done. I often prepare the dish in the morning so I can pop it in the oven at the end of the day.
WOW – YUMMY!!!!!!
YOUR MEAL DOESNT SAY TO BOIL PASTA FIRST
In the ingredients list, it says the shells should be cooked according to package directions.
My family loves this dish! Just curious about the serving size? I love that you provide the nutrition information—thanks!
A serving is 4 shells!
Am I missing instructions???
Is the 1/2 cup provolone & 1/2 cup parmesan in addition to the 3 cups mozzarella or do they replace 1 cup of the mozzarella?
When are they added?
Although I know it’s hard to have too much cheese, I don’t want to overdo it.
Thanks.
There is no provolone cheese in this recipe! It’s just the mozarella, ricotta and parmesan. Half of of the mozzarella goes on top of the shells before they go into the oven. The ricotta and parmesan and the rest of the mozzarella are in the filling.
These were easy to make and so yummy. Baked stuffed shells always take me back to my childhood. My own kids loved them, too!
Brought this to a potluck and the crowd loved it! It’s gone in minutes!