Stuffed Shells

5 from 100 votes

Stuffed shells filled with ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan and baked in a marinara for about 40 minutes until bubbly and gooey.

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Baking dish of cheese stuffed shells recipe with a bite being removed showing cheesy pull.
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My Stuffed Shells Are So Good!

Stuffed shells are basically lasagna’s more fun, less fussy cousin—and honestly, I might like them even more. Jumbo pasta shells get filled with a creamy mix of ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan, then baked in marinara sauce until bubbly and golden. It’s simple, cheesy comfort food at its best.

I make these stuffed shells whenever I want something hearty but don’t feel like layering a whole lasagna. They’re easy to prep ahead, and always a hit at the table. I like to finish them off with fresh basil and serve with garlic bread.

Stuffed Shell Ingredients

Ingredients for recipe: grated parmesan cheese, shredded mozzarella, ricotta, marinara sauce, egg, seasonings, fresh basil and uncooked jumbo pasta shells.
  • Jumbo pasta shells: You’ll need extra-large shells to hold the cheesy filling. Manicotti also works, but skip smaller-sized shells—they’re too hard to stuff!
  • Ricotta cheese: For the best flavor and creamiest texture, I prefer full-fat ricotta, but you can use low-fat. You can also replace it with 2 cups of the blended cottage cheese.
  • Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses: This classic combination of cheeses is my go-to for baked stuffed shells. You can also try an Italian cheese blend.
  • Eggs: Adding an egg to your cheese mixture helps bind the cheeses together and keeps the filling inside the shells. I highly recommend including it, but if you’re out, it’s okay to skip it.
  • Italian seasoning, salt and pepper: I like to make my own blend of Italian seasoning, but feel free to use a store-bought mix.
  • Marinara sauce: Use your favorite brand of marinara! I love making the sauce from scratch, but don’t always have time on busy weeknights. You can also use bechamel sauce, a creamy alfredo, or meaty Bolognese in place of the marinara.
  • Add veggies. Mix ½ cup sauteed spinach or sauteed kale into the cheese filling. Just make sure to squeeze out any excess moisture to avoid a runny filling.
  • Top with pesto. For even more basil flavor, top the baked shells with pesto sauce.
  • Make it spicy: Add a kick of heat with a dash of red pepper flakes.

How to Make Cheese Stuffed Shells

Cheese filling ingredients in a bowl before combining.
Step 1: Combine the ricotta, part of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, egg, basil, and seasonings in a bowl.
Cheese filling ingredients in a bowl after combining.
Step 2: Mix the ingredients together until well combined to form a filling.
Half of sauce spread into a baking dish.
Step 3: Spread half of the marinara sauce into your baking dish.
Cheese mixture added to shells and placed on top of sauce in dish.
Step 4: After par-cooking the jumbo shells, fill each one with some of the cheese mixture and place them on top of the sauce.
Remaining sauce and cheese added on top before baking.
Step 5: Sprinkle the remaining cheeses on top and cover the dish with foil for baking.
Recipe after baking to show melty cheese.
Step 6: When there’s only 10 minutes left, remove the foil and continue cooking until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

My Best Stuffed Shells Tips

  1. Do not overcook the pasta. While many instructions for stuffed shells with cheese suggest cooking the pasta al dente, I recommend 2 minutes shy of al dente. That’s because these shells will be baking in the oven with the sauce and cheese for more than half an hour.
  2. Rinse the shells with cold water after boiling. This prevents them from sticking to each other while you’re preparing the cheese mixture and stuffing the pasta shells. Just be sure to let it drain very well so you’re not adding excess moisture to the dish.
  3. Add a layer of sauce to the pan before adding the shells. This helps to keep the shells moist so they are not sticking together while you are stuffing them. It’s also easier to serve them this way. I find that there’s no need to spray the baking dish or spray the pasta shells with oil. The marinara sauce does the trick!
  4. Use a large ziplock bag to stuff the cheese stuffing into the shells. This is a fun little trick to make the assembly of the cheese stuffed pasta faster. After mixing the filling, place it in a large enough bag, cut off a corner, and pipe into the shells. This trick saves time, creates less mess and results in an overall better presentation.
Cheese stuffed shells in baking dish garnished with fresh basil with serving spoon nearby.

Serving Ideas

Serving of stuffed cheese shells on plate with baking dish nearby.

Recipe Help & FAQs

Why did my shells stick to my baking dish?

You probably didn’t add enough sauce to your baking dish before placing the shells inside it. Use about half the sauce as a base for your shells. This helps create a barrier between the shells and the bottom of the baking dish, avoiding sticking.

Can you make cheese stuffed shells in advance?

Yes, you can make these stuffed shells 1-2 days ahead of time. Boil the pasta, stuff the shells and place in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, pour the sauce over the pasta and then bake. If you pour the sauce a couple days in advance, it will affect the texture of the pasta.

How can I tell when my stuffed shells are done?

Stuffed shells are done with the sauce is bubbly, the cheese is melted and the shells are soft but set.

More Pasta Recipes:

If you try this Cheese Stuffed Shells recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!

This recipe was originally published on June 23, 2019 and has recently been updated with a more classic ingredient list, new photography, and step-by-step images to help make the recipe.

Stuffed Shells Recipe

Stuffed shells filled with ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan and baked in a marinara for about 40 minutes until bubbly and gooey.
5 from 100 votes
Servings 6 servings
Course Dinner, Pastas
Calories 423
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

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Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounces jumbo pasta shells about 32
  • 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
  • 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese divided
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup chopped basil plus more for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 (28-ounce) jar marinara sauce

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or a little less than al dente; drain and rinse with cold water.
  • In a large bowl, combine ricotta, ½ cup of the mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup of parmesan cheese, egg, basil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees.
  • Spread half of the marinara sauce into a 9×13 baking dish. Spoon the cheese mixture into the pasta shells and place in the baking dish on top of the sauce. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
  • Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
Freezing Instructions:  You can freeze the shells before baking without the sauce. Just place them in a freezer-safe baking dish or disposable foil pan. You can also freeze them on a baking dish, and once frozen, store them in a freezer bag so you select the quantity to bake.
When you’re ready to bake, just remove from the freezer, pour the sauce, add any extra cheese on top and bake with the frozen shells, adding an extra 5 to 10 minutes to the bake time.
Make Ahead Tips: You can make these stuffed shells 1 to 2 days ahead of time. Boil the pasta, stuff the shells and place in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, pour the sauce over the pasta and then bake. If you pour the sauce a couple days in advance, it will affect the texture of the pasta.
Serving Size: This recipe serves 4 to 6, portion size is 5 to 8 shells.

Nutrition

Serving: 5-8 shells, Calories: 423kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Cholesterol: 95mg, Sodium: 1219mg, Potassium: 613mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1168IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 488mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American, Italian
Course: Dinner, Pastas
5 from 100 votes (88 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Cynthia says:

    Yum

  2. nicole says:

    Can you make this with a meat sauce?

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Yes, it should work!

  3. Brenda says:

    My family loves this recipe. My husband and I also make it to take to other people who are shut-ins and they absolutely love it. It also freezes very well.

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      I’m so glad everyone is enjoying it! Yay!!

  4. Audrey says:

    Can you add spinach to the cheese mixture or will it throw off the taste?

    1. Yumna J. says:

      I’m sure you could!

  5. Barbara says:

    wonderful. easy to prepare, instructions easy to follow. thank you

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So glad to hear it. Thank you!!

  6. CTGirl717 says:

    I always hate Prep Times bc while I am not a professional chef, I’m also not an amateur, and it takes almost 20 minutes to boil the water and cook the shells. I don’t know how people do it in that time frame. With that said, my family enjoyed the meal. I did add ground beef (1 lb), but it would be just as good without. Also, does the ingredient list say to separate the parm when really it should be the mozz….or vice versa?

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Oh I gotcha with the prep time, but usually it refers to hands-on prep time, that’s how most people count it. And thank you for pointing that out about the dividing the mozzarella cheese, not the parmesan. The mozzarella is more melty, so that’s what we want on top. I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂

  7. Emily says:

    I cannot find shells at any grocery store. Any other suggestions for pasta? Manicotti pasta?

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Yes, manicotti would be a great substitute!

  8. Jerri says:

    I made these tonight and folded an 8 oz container of real crab meat into the cheese mixture. I guess I turned the recipe into sea shells. My husband and I agreed that they turned out as good as a high end Italian restaurant would have produced. My grocer only had one choice of pasta shells and I don’t know if they are smaller than pictured in the recipe, but 8 oz of raw pasta equaled waaay more shells.. about 26 for me. The filling was still enough for all of them. I just had to use a few more baking dishes.

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So glad you tried it and I love that you added crab meat. My photo actually shows half the recipe, so 8 ounces is about 26-30 jumbo shells. I added that note to the recipe so thanks for bringing that up!

  9. Jada says:

    Made this delicious dish tonight for the family. Was a hit with all which doesn’t happen often!
    Easy prep and we even had left overs that we are looking forward to having for lunch. Definitely a five star ?

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Aww thank you so much for the feedback. So happy to hear the whole family loved it!! thank you 🙂

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