Stuffed Shells – Two Peas & Their Pod

Baked pasta dishes are so comforting and scrumptious. Just a few favorites embrace: baked ziti, baked spaghetti, baked mac and cheese, and manicotti.

I additionally LOVE Stuffed Shells. They’re the proper weeknight meal – hearty, scrumptious, and at all times a crowd pleaser!

The jumbo cooked pasta shells are filled with a creamy filling that’s made up of three cheeses; ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. The filling additionally has garlic, spinach, and herbs for added taste.

Smother the tacky stuffed shells with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese and bake till bubbly. Garnish with recent basil and revel in a basic Italian meal. Comforting, cozy, and tremendous satisfying!

And the very best half? You may put together this stuffed shells recipe upfront and the shells are freezer pleasant too! That is additionally an important meal to take to family members when they’re in want of a do-it-yourself meal, simply add garlic bread and a salad.

Components

• Jumbo pasta shells– prepare dinner till al dente in response to bundle instructions. I at all times boil 24 pasta shells simply in case some break, however you’ll solely want 20 for the recipe.
• Olive oil– for sautéing the veggies.
• Spinach– use recent spinach and provides it a tough chop.
• Garlic– minced. Use a pointy knife or garlic press.
• Ricotta cheese– ricotta is a easy cheese with a creamy, delicate style and a thick texture.
• Egg– to bind the filling collectively.
• Mozzarella cheese– I like to recommend shopping for a block of cheese and grating it. It would soften higher than pre-shredded cheese.
• Parmesan cheese– freshly grated!
• Italian seasoning– the proper mix of Italian seasonings and I at all times have it within the pantry.
• Crushed purple pepper flakes– for somewhat warmth.
• Marinara sauce– you need to use do-it-yourself marinara sauce or retailer purchased. Rao’s is our favourite retailer purchased model.
• Contemporary basil– for garnish.

Find out how to Make Stuffed Shells

Scroll right down to recipe card for full checklist of elements and directions!

• Preheat oven to 375 diploma F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Put aside.
• Carry a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta shells and prepare dinner till al dente, in response to bundle directions. Don’t overcook the shells. Drain, and rinse with run chilly water to cease cooking. Set the shells apart.

• In a big skillet, warmth the olive oil over medium warmth. Add the chopped spinach and sauté till wilted. Add the garlic and prepare dinner for 1 minute.

• In a big bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, spinach combination, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, purple pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

• Unfold 1 ½ cups of the marinara sauce on the underside of the baking dish.

• Fill the pasta shells with the cheese and spinach combination.
• You should utilize a spoon or piping bag to fill the shells. When you don’t have a piping bag, you need to use a gallon-size freezer bag, use scissors to snip the nook of the bag. You should utilize a spoon, however the piping makes it a lot simpler!

• Place the stuffed shells within the baking dish in an excellent layer. It’s okay if they’re shut collectively and touching.

• Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the shells.

• Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and canopy the pan with aluminum foil.

• Bake for half-hour. Rigorously take away the foil and broil for two minutes to calmly brown the cheese.
• Take away from the oven and garnish with recent basil. Serve heat.

Recipe Variations

• Kale– as a substitute of spinach you need to use kale. You too can omit the spinach and use a plain cheese filling.
• Cottage cheese-use cottage cheese as a substitute of ricotta cheese for a lift of protein. I like to recommend utilizing complete milk cottage cheese so it’s tremendous creamy.
• Lemon– add lemon zest to the cheese filling to brighten the flavors.
• Contemporary herbs– as a substitute of utilizing dried Italian seasoning, you need to use chopped recent basil, parsley, thyme, or a mixture of herbs.
• Nutmeg– add a pinch of nutmeg to the cheese filling for a slight sweetness. A bit of goes a great distance so be sure you solely add somewhat bit.
• Add greens– finely chopped mushrooms, zucchini, or bell peppers could be an important addition to the cheese filling. Sauté in olive oil earlier than including them to the cheese filling. You may also like my roasted vegetable stuffed shells.
• Meat sauce– as a substitute of marinara sauce, use a meat sauce. I like to recommend utilizing the meat sauce we use to make basic spaghetti. 
• Add protein– you may add cooked rooster or Italian sausage to the cheese filling.

Find out how to Freeze Stuffed Shells

Stuffed shells are freezer pleasant. Make a pan and hold within the freezer for a busy day!

• When you plan on freezing stuffed shells, it’s best to make them in a disposable aluminum pan so you may put the pan proper within the freezer.
• Put together the stuffed shells, however don’t bake. Cowl the aluminum pan with plastic wrap and aluminum foil (or the lid the pan comes with).
• Label, date, and place within the freezer. Freeze for as much as 3 months.
• When able to bake, bake the shells from frozen and add a further half-hour to the baking time.
• You too can freeze leftover baked shells in particular person parts. Place cooled, cooked shells in particular person freezer containers. Take away from freezer and warmth within the microwave for two minutes or till heated by means of.

Find out how to Retailer Leftovers

• Find out how to Retailer Leftovers: let the pasta cool utterly. Retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
• Find out how to Reheat Leftovers: reheat particular person servings within the microwave. You too can reheat a pan of stuffed shells in a 350 diploma F oven. Bake till heated by means of, about 20 minutes.

What to Serve with Stuffed Shells

If you wish to serve just a few aspect dishes alongside aspect the tacky stuffed shells, listed below are just a few good choices.

Extra Pasta Recipes

Discover all of our PASTA RECIPES HERE!

Pasta

Stuffed Shells

Jumbo pasta shells filled with a creamy, tacky spinach filling, topped with wealthy marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and baked to perfection. This scrumptious dinner will be made upfront and it is freezer pleasant too!

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• Preheat oven to 375 diploma F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Put aside.

• Carry a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta shells and prepare dinner till al dente, in response to bundle directions. Don’t overcook the shells. Drain, and rinse with run chilly water to cease cooking. Set the shells apart.

• In a big skillet, warmth the olive oil over medium warmth. Add the chopped spinach and sauté till wilted. Add the garlic and prepare dinner for 1 minute.

• In a big bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, spinach combination, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, purple pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

• Unfold 1 ½ cups of the marinara sauce on the underside of the baking dish.

• Use a spoon to fill the pasta shells with the cheese and spinach combination. Place within the baking dish.

• Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the shells and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.

• Cowl with foil and bake for half-hour. Rigorously take away the foil and broil for a further 2 minutes to calmly brown the cheese.

• Take away from the oven and garnish with recent basil. Serve heat.

I at all times boil 24 pasta shells simply in case some break, however you’ll solely want 20 for the recipe.

Energy: 494kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 29g, Fats: 28g, Saturated Fats: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g, Monounsaturated Fats: 9g, Ldl cholesterol: 115mg, Sodium: 988mg, Potassium: 692mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 3278IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 560mg, Iron: 3mg

Key phrases marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, stuffed shells

Have you ever tried this recipe?

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