Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells
Jumbo cheese stuffed pasta shells are stuffed with three cheeses! Ricotta , cream cheese and mozzarella and topped with parmesan cheese. Adding to the ‘easy’ we nestled the stuffed shells in a layer of jarred marinara sauce and baked them to a delicious creaminess. Yum!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dry jumbo pasta shells
- 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce or homemade
- 12 ounces cream cheese
- 1 large egg
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 garlic cloves grated or minced
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
- 8 ounces Mozzarella cheese 2 cups shredded
- 4 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 1 cup grated
- 2 tablespoons curly leaf parsley chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta shells to the al dente stage, about 7 minutes. Drain the cooked shells in a colander and rinse with cold water. Return the shells to the pot and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil to keep from sticking together.
- Coat a 9x13-inch ovenproof casserole dish with non-stick oil spray. Add all of the marinara sauce to the bottom of the dish. Set aside.
- In a medium-size bowl and using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and the egg together, add the ricotta cheese and blend until smooth.
- With a spoon or spatula, stir in the garlic, basil and the Mozzarella cheese until evenly blended.
- To fill the shells: Hold a shell open and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture into the shell. Add a teaspoon or more of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on the top, pressing to adhere to the filling. Place the filled shell in the dish of sauce, repeat with the remaining shells.
- Cover the dish with foil and transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, turn the heating unit to ‘broil’ and cook for another 3-4 minutes to brown the cheese.
- Serve hot with garlic bread and a garnish of chopped basil or parsley.
Notes
Cook shells al dente: Keep jumbo pasta shells slightly firm so they’re easier to fill and hold their shape in the baking dish.
Pipe the filling: Use a piping bag or zip-top bag for quick, even stuffing with minimal mess.
Bake covered, then broil: Cover with foil while baking to keep the pasta moist, then broil briefly for a bubbling, golden cheese topping.
Don’t overfill: About 2 tablespoons of filling per shell is enough. Overfilling can cause them to split as they bake.
Choose the right dish: A 9×13 casserole dish holds the shells in a single layer so they bake evenly in the sauce.
Layer with sauce: Spread marinara on the bottom of the dish to keep the shells from sticking or drying out.
Freezer-friendly: Fill and freeze the shells on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a container. Bake straight from frozen with extra sauce and foil.
Nutrition
Serving: 3 serving | Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 491mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g
