Stuffed Shells
Cheesy stuffed shells from The Essential Recipes by Ree Drummond — baked with marinara, four cheeses, and plenty of love. A comforting dinner favorite!
Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
- 1 9x13-inch casserole dish (for baking the shells)
Ingredients
- salted butter, for the baking dish
- 4 cups marinara sauce
- 4 cups ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups grated Parmesan cheese, divide
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 3 cups grated Havarti or mozzarella cheese (or a mix of both), divided
- 24 jumbo pasta shells, cooked to al dente and drained
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the marinara over medium heat.
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, 1 cup of the Parmesan, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, parsley and 2 cups of the shredded cheese. Mix until completely combined.
- Then spoon it into a gallon size plastic zipper bag (or a large piping bag), twisting the open end several times. Snip the end of the bag and pipe the ricotta mixture into each pasta shell until full but not overflowing. Place the stuffed shells in the prepared baking dish, with the open sides facing up.
- Spoon the sauce over the shells, leaving little areas here and there where the shells and cheese can peek through. Top with the remaining shredded cheese and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and the edges are brown and bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve gooey and warm!
Notes
- Use a piping bag (or zip-top bag): It makes stuffing shells so much easier!
- Make it ahead: Assemble up to a day in advance, cover, and refrigerate. Add 5 to 10 minutes to the bake time.
- Mix up the cheeses: Havarti adds creaminess; mozzarella adds stretch.
- Add-ins: Try sautéed spinach or cooked Italian sausage for variation.
- For Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days, covered tightly. Or freeze baked or unbaked shells for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat at 350°F until warm.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (3 shells) | Calories: 559kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 1591mg | Potassium: 650mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1829IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 668mg | Iron: 3mg