Description
Delicious and comforting stuffed shells filled with a creamy ricotta and cheese mixture, baked in marinara sauce for a satisfying Italian-inspired meal perfect for dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta Shells
- 20 jumbo shells
Sauce
- 3 cups marinara sauce
Cheese Filling
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (1 ½ cups for filling, ½ cup for topping)
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese (plus additional for topping, if desired)
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Seasonings
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 large garlic clove, pressed
Other
- Butter for greasing dish and foil
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the stuffed shells.
- Cook Shells: Boil the jumbo pasta shells according to package instructions but cook them for one minute less than suggested. Drain and let cool for several minutes. Separate shells and place them on a baking sheet to prevent sticking.
- Prepare Baking Dish: Lightly butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Spoon several spoonfuls of marinara sauce to evenly coat the bottom of the dish.
- Make Filling: In a large bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella, ⅓ cup grated parmesan, softened cream cheese, lightly beaten egg, chopped parsley, pressed garlic, dried oregano, sea salt, and ground pepper until well combined.
- Fill Shells: Using a spoon, heap portions of the cheese mixture and stuff each cooked shell evenly.
- Arrange Shells: Place the filled shells in the prepared baking dish over the marinara sauce. Pour the remaining marinara sauce evenly over the shells.
- Add Cheese Topping: Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese and additional grated parmesan cheese over the top for extra flavor and browning.
- Cover with Foil: Lightly butter one side of a piece of foil or spray it with cooking spray, then loosely cover the casserole dish with the foil, buttered side down.
- Bake Covered: Bake the dish in the preheated oven for 20 minutes with the foil on to allow the filling to heat and flavors to meld.
- Bake Uncovered: Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes, uncovered, to brown the cheese topping.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve warm. Enjoy your delicious stuffed shells!
Notes
- This recipe requires less than 20 minutes of prep time, making it a quick and easy dinner option.
- Cooking shells one minute less than package instructions prevents them from becoming too soft and falling apart during stuffing.
- A mix of cheeses including cream cheese adds a creamy texture to the filling.
- Butter on the foil prevents it from sticking to the cheese during baking.
- You can substitute fresh parsley with dried parsley if fresh is unavailable.
- Additional parmesan cheese on top enhances flavor and gives a nice golden crust.
- For a vegetarian option, ensure your marinara sauce is free of meat products.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed shell
- Calories: 185 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 345 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 41 mg
