Easy Stuffed Shells Recipe
We aren’t really a fancy dinner family. We like easy casseroles, soups, slow cooker meals and the occasional hot dog with french fries. We also LOVE cheesy pasta dishes like lasagna and stuffed shells, and I have to tell you this ricotta cheese filling in these shells is delicious and makes all my cheesy pasta dreams come true! Stuffed Shells have been one of my favorite dinners since I was a kid. This classic recipe comes straight from my childhood and I’m still making it many years later!
How to Make Stuffed Shells
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gather all your ingredients that you’ll need. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add half a box of jumbo shells and cook according to box, making sure not to over cook them. Drain. While shells are cooking, in a large bowl mix egg, ricotta cheese, half of the mozzarella cheese, half of the Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, basil and garlic powder. Lightly coat a 9×13 baking dish with pasta sauce, using 1-2 tablespoons to coat the bottom. Stuff ricotta mixture into shells, using a spoon on your hands. Place stuffed shells into baking dish. In a large bowl add pasta sauce, remaining half of the mozzarella cheese, remaining half of the Parmesan cheese and mushrooms. If your family doesn’t like mushrooms, you can skip them. Want to add something else? Try some chopped up spinach! Stir so it’s all combined. Pour this mixture over the stuffed shells. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake additionally for 10 minutes. Once removed from oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. I like to add a couple pieces of fresh basil chopped up on top of the shells before serving. Now my favorite part, time to eat! I hope you love these Easy Stuffed Shells as much as I do!
What if I want to add ground beef?
If you want to add ground beef you definitely can! Brown a pound of ground beef in a pan and add to your ricotta mixture before stuffing the shells. I recommend a 85/15% or 90/10% ground beef to prevent the meal from getting too greasy.
How Long Can I Keep Stuffed Shells in the Refrigerator?
Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil tightly and keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you need more time, I suggest double covering them with foil and putting them in the freezer.
Can I make Stuffed Shells in advance?
Yes, in fact I think most stuffed shells and lasagna recipes taste better after sitting for a day. The pasta soaks up the sauce and it’s perfect in my opinion! I often will bake these stuffed shells on a Sunday and then we’ll have them for dinner on Monday and Tuesday (leftovers). Pin for later:
