Description
Delicious and comforting stuffed jumbo pasta shells filled with a creamy ricotta and cheese mixture, baked in marinara sauce and topped with melted mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Perfect for a satisfying dinner with minimal prep time.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Sauce
- 20 jumbo shells
- 3 cups marinara sauce
Cheese Filling
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)
- 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 parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 large garlic clove (pressed)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350F (175C) to prepare for baking the stuffed shells.
- Cook Pasta Shells: Prepare the jumbo shells according to package instructions but boil them for one minute less than recommended. Drain and let cool for several minutes, then separate the shells and lay them out on a baking sheet.
- Prepare Baking Dish: Lightly butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Spread several spoonfuls of marinara sauce in the bottom to lightly coat it.
- Make the Filling: In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, softened cream cheese, beaten egg, chopped parsley, pressed garlic, dried oregano, sea salt, and ground pepper. Stir well until fully combined.
- Stuff the Shells: Fill each pasta shell with a heaping spoonful of the cheese filling and place them in the prepared baking dish over the marinara sauce.
- Add Sauce and Cheese Topping: Spoon the remaining marinara sauce evenly over the stuffed shells. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of shredded mozzarella and a light sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top.
- Cover and Bake: Lightly butter one side of a piece of foil or spray it with cooking spray. Cover the baking dish loosely with the foil (butter side down) and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- Uncover and Finish Baking: Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted and bubbly.
- Serve: Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy your comforting stuffed shells!
Notes
- Boiling the shells for one minute less than the package instructions prevents them from overcooking during baking.
- If fresh parsley is not available, dried parsley is a suitable substitute.
- Lightly buttering the foil prevents it from sticking to the cheese topping.
- You can prepare the filling ahead of time to save on prep during dinner time.
- For a vegetarian version, ensure your marinara sauce does not contain any meat products.
- Additional parmesan cheese can be sprinkled on top before serving for extra flavor.
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
