This Stuffed Shells recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner or feeding a crowd! Featuring a creamy three-cheese ricotta filling nestled in rich marinara sauce, all topped with melty mozzarella cheese. It's pure comfort food and couldn't be easier to make!
Looking for more easy dinner recipes? Try my Lasagna Soup or Lasagna Roll Ups next!
About This Recipe
These hearty stuffed shells are a family favorite! Yielding about 18-20 generously filled shells, it's the perfect dish for a weeknight dinner, Sunday supper, or potluck. Made with jumbo pasta shells, three types of cheese, and store-bought marinara sauce, it's so satisfying and easy to make.
And if you're looking for an easy meal prep, this might be it. These stuffed shells keep really well in the fridge and can even be frozen for a few months. I love making this for weekly meal prep since they heat up so easily and taste so darn good. My wife and I pop these in the air fryer for a few minutes to warm up for an easy lunch all week long.
This recipe is completely vegetarian. No meat at all. But that doesn't mean it's lacking richness or flavor. The three cheeses more than make up for it. That said, if you are looking for a meat option, you can easily add one pound of ground beef or Italian sausage when you're sauteeing the onions and garlic. Cook the meat until it's no longer pink, then follow the recipe as directed.
Key Ingredients
Jumbo pasta shells: Make sure you get the jumbo size so that there's plenty of room to fill them up with our ricotta filling! We'll need 18-20 shells, but I recommend cooking a few extra since some shells tend to break during boiling.
Olive oil: Just a tablespoon for sauteeing the onion and garlic, and to build the base of the sauce.
Onion and garlic: These create the flavorful base for the marinara sauce. Don't skip them! Sautรฉing them first will take their sharp edge off and bring out their natural sweetness.
Marinara sauce: Since marinara is a prominent ingredient, I recommend a good-quality one. My favorite brand is Rao's. If you have a homemade marinara you love, you can use that.
Dried oregano: Just a small teaspoon stirred into the marinara adds a classic Italian herbiness. You can also use Italian seasoning blend here.
Ricotta cheese: Full-fat ricotta will give you the richest, most satisfying result. I would avoid low-fat ricotta here, as it tends to be watery and will make your filling too loose.
Mozzarella cheese: Shredded mozzarella goes into the filling AND on top. The filling gets 1 ยฝ cups for creaminess, and the rest goes on top to crisp up.
Parmesan cheese: Adds a salty, nutty depth to the ricotta filling that takes it from good to great. Don't skip it!
Parsley: Stirred into the filling and used as a garnish at the end.
Egg: One egg helps bind the ricotta filling together so it holds its shape inside the shells.
Instructions
STEP 1: Cook the jumbo shells according to the package instructions until al dente. Rinse and drain, then spread them out on a baking sheet so they don't stick.
STEP 2: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the marinara and dried oregano. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat.
STEP 3: Pour the marinara mixture into the casserole dish.
STEP 4: In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 ยฝ cups of mozzarella, parmesan, parsley, and egg.
STEP 5: Fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons of ricotta filling and place in the casserole dish.
STEP 6: Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
STEP 7: Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes until the cheese is lightly golden. Garnish with extra parsley. Enjoy!
๐ Recipe
Stuffed Shells Recipe
Ingredients
- 18-20 jumbo pasta shells
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 28 ounces marinara sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)
- โ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ยผ cup parsley (plus more for garnish)
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ยฐF and set aside a 9x13 casserole dish.
- Cook the jumbo shells according to the package instructions until al dente. Rinse and drain, then spread them out on a baking sheet so they don't stick.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the marinara and dried oregano. Bring to a simmer, then pour into the casserole dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 ยฝ cups of mozzarella, parmesan, parsley, and egg.
- Fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons of ricotta filling and place in the casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes until the cheese is lightly golden. Garnish with extra parsley. Enjoy!
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