Hey Y’all! In this post I’ll be sharing a scrumptious dish with you of a simple stuffed shells recipe with ricotta cheese filling.
It’s the kind of dish that brings the family together, filling your kitchen with laughter and your belly with warmth.
We’re talking tender pasta shells stuffed to the brim with a rich blend of ricotta cheese, and a few more simple ingredients (including a store bought marinara to keep things easy), all baked to golden perfection.
Whether it’s a Sunday supper, weeknight dinners, or a special gathering, these cheesy delights are sure to make everyone at your table smile from ear to ear!
Y’all, let me share a couple of reasons why I love this recipe so much. It takes just a few ingredients, the recipe is perfect for cooks of any skill level, busy parents and kids love it, and you can customize the flavors to suit your own taste buds.
So let’s head to the kitchen friends and let me show you how I like to put this classic stuffed shells pasta meal together.
Easy Stuffed Shells
Friend, if you love easy dinner recipes then this stuffed shells recipe is for you! It is delicious!
And, in case you’re wondering…
Can you freeze stuffed shells? Yes, you can.
How to freeze stuffed shells? I like to transfer the leftovers to a foil baking pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil to freeze.
How to reheat stuffed shells? If you’re reheating refrigerated leftover stuffed shells, cover with foil and place into a 350°F oven for thirty minutes or until heated through.
If you’re reheating leftover frozen stuffed shells: preheat your oven to 400°F, place your foil covered pan into the hot oven and bake for one hour, or until hot and bubbly.
Now, I will say this from my own experience, that while the frozen leftover stuffed shells are good, fresh baked are the very best.
Classic Stuffed Shells
Here are the simple ingredients that you’ll need:
(There is also a printable recipe card at the end of the post with all of the details)
- Jumbo Pasta Shells
- Rao’s Marinara Sauce – or use your favorite grocery store bought marinara or homemade sauce. I used Rao’s to keep things super easy with this recipe and because it is known for its high quality ingredients. You might also like my homemade meat sauce for this recipe.
- Ricotta Cheese
- Large Eggs – the eggs were evidently out late the night before and didn’t show up to the photo shoot above, but they are indeed an important part of the recipe.
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Prepared Basil Pesto – or use fresh basil.
- Salt and Ground Black Pepper
- Italian Seasoning (optional, but recommended)
If you want to season and spice up your cheese mixture more then go for it friend. Garlic powder, onion powder, or red pepper flakes for a bit of heat would also be tasty too.
Jumbo Pasta Shells
The first step is to get those jumbo shells cooked al dente. Just follow the package directions for whatever brand of pasta you’re using but the basics are to add some cold water to a large pot and place it on the stove top over medium-high heat.
Place a lid on the pot will get it boiling faster. Once the water is boiling, remove the lid, add a pinch of kosher salt to the water and add the pasta. Give it a stir to make sure the shells aren’t sticking together.
Set a timer! The important thing to do in this step is not over cook the shells since they are going to be baking later.
Prepare the Creamy Ricotta Cheese Filling
While the pasta is cooking we can move to the next step, which is preparing the cheese filling.
In a medium sized mixing bowl add the ricotta cheese, half of the shredded mozzarella cheese, half of the grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese, a couple tablespoons of basil pesto (I love the Kirkland, btw, taste just like freshly made), the eggs, salt and pepper.
Stuffed Shells with Meat or Without – Your Choice
Use a spatula and give the ricotta mixture a good stir to combine everything together.
If you might be wondering why I like to use pesto, it is because I usually have it on hand and it is bold in that basil flavor with olive oil, pine nuts, and cheese. Plus, most of the time the fresh basil at my local store looks not so great.
Other options for the filling mixture: you can add meat like cooked ground beef, cooked Italian sausage, or cooked chicken if you like. Veggies would also be great if you’re wanting to add onions, bell pepper, or spinach.
The Cheese Mixture
Next, transfer the creamy ricotta cheese mixture to a piping bag or ziplock bag. I find that this amount of cheesy filling is much easier to handle when put into two gallon sized bags rather than a large one.
By the way, I would like to mention that the cheesy filling is freezable. So, if you want to make a smaller portion of stuffed shells, or stuffed ricotta, freeze the rest of the ricotta filling for another meal.
Stuffed Shells
Once the cooking time is up for the pasta, carefully pour the hot water and shells into a colander to drain well. I like to place the colander holding the pasta over a bowl to catch any more water that might drain away.
Allow the shells to cool enough to handle.
Putting it all Together
Next, add about a third of the jar of marinara red sauce to the bottom of a rectangle baking dish.
Filling the Jumbo Shells
Now it is time to fill those shells with the wonderful ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and pesto filling. You could certainly use a spoon for this step but piping it in makes the process go so quickly and less messy.
Snip the corner of the filled baggies for piping. You will want to add about two tablespoons of the filling to each pasta shell then place the stuff shells into your casserole dish.
I find that the amount of filling is the perfect amount to fill 32 to 34 jumbo shells.
Simple Stuffed Shells Recipe with Ricotta Cheese
This step is optional, but once all of your stuffed shells are arranged in your baking dish, I like the added flavor of sprinkling a bit of Italian seasoning over the shells.
The Sauce
Next, pour the remaining marinara sauce over the stuffed shells. Use a spoon or spatula if needed to carefully ensure that all of the pasta is covered with some of the tomato sauce.
Here Comes the Cheese
The next layer is the rest of that freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese.
The final step is to add the remaining cup mozzarella cheese sprinkled over top before placing the stuffed shells into your hot oven to bake until the cheese is all melty and ooey gooey.
Into the Oven to Bake
Once my baking time is up, I like to take two extra minutes and switch on the broiler to brown the cheese a little. Y’all, does that look good or what?
Now that is a delicious meal that I’m proud to serve at my dinner table for family and guests. It is a great recipe and I recommend you go ahead and file it under your go favorite pasta recipes.
What to serve with Stuffed Shells?
Y’all can add a touch of Southern charm to your meal with these delicious serving suggestions to enjoy with your stuffed shells supper.
- A garden salad – simple and lightly dressed in a vinaigrette.
- Fluffy Yeast Rolls
- Garlic Bread with a small plate of olive oil infused with herbs and spices for dipping.
- Sautéed Green Beans
- Fruit Salad
And don’t forget something to sip on, maybe a glass of strawberry iced tea to wet your whistle.
Stuffed Shells Printable Recipe Card
Below you will find the printable recipe card for this simple stuffed shells recipe with ricotta cheese. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Easy Classic Stuffed Shells Recipe with Ricotta Cheese Filling
Ingredients
- 12 ounce Jumbo Pasta Shells
- 24 ounce Rao’s Marinara or brand of choice or homemade tomato sauce
- 32 ounce Ricotta Cheese
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese divided
- 1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 3 tablespoons Prepared Basil Pesto I love Kirkland’s or use fresh basil thinly sliced.
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt or to taste
- ¼ Cracked Black Pepper or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon Italian Seasoning optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare the jumbo shells according to package instructions (see post for tips). Do not overcook.
- While the pasta cooks, prepare the cheesy filling. In a medium mixing bowl; add the ricotta cheese, eggs, 1 cup shredded mozzarella, ½ cup of the grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese, basil pesto, salt and pepper. Use a spatula to stir and combine the filling mixture together.
- Next, transfer the cheese mixture into two gallon sized Ziplock bags, or piping bag, snip the corners and set aside. The smaller size makes handling the filling mixture for piping easier.
- The next step is to add ⅓ of the jar of marinara (about a cup) to the bottom of a rectangle casserole dish.
- Drain the jumbo shells into a colander, place the colander over a bowl and allow the shells to cool enough to handle.
- Pipe the cheesy ricotta mixture into each shell, about two tablespoons per shell. This amount of filling will fill 32 to 34 shells perfectly. Place each shell as it is filled into the baking dish. Repeat until all are filled.
- Optional: sprinkle a little Italian seasoning over the shells.
- Next, pour the remaining marinara over the shells. If needed, gently use a spoon or spatula to spread the marinara ensuring it is covering all of the pasta.
- Finally, add a layer of the remaining grated Parmesan cheese topped with the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese then place into the hot oven to bake for 45 minutes.
- Serve hot with your favorite sides for pasta meals.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Easy Simple Classic Stuffed Shells Recipe with Ricotta
Well, y’all, there you have it—a dish that’s as comforting as a hug from Mama! This simple stuffed shells recipe with ricotta cheese filling are just the ticket for any occasion that calls for a little extra love on the plate.
Serve them up with a sprinkle of fresh herbs and watch as they disappear faster than you can say “more, please!”
I hope you enjoy making and eating this dish as much as I do.
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Happy cooking, y’all!
About Julia
Hey Y’all! I’m Julia, the cook and writer behind the recipes here at Julia’s Simply Southern. I began my website so that I could share easy to follow recipes that anyone can use to put a home cooked meal on the dinner table. Thanks so much for stopping by!
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