Stuffed Shells Recipe (The Finest Italian Consolation Meals)

That is my household’s go-to recipe for stuffed shells! Al dente jumbo pasta shells, home made marinara sauce, scrumptious ricotta cheese combination, and gooey mozzarella cheese on high. Leap to the recipe now! This recipe is complete consolation meals and scrumptious with garlic knots and a Caesar salad.

Subsequent time you’re craving consolation meals, make these gloriously tacky stuffed shells!!! Aka heaven in a casserole dish. My household BEGS me to make this baked pasta dish. And now we have quite a lot of enjoyable making these stuffed shells collectively as a household.

I normally make the home made marinara sauce and ricotta combination earlier than they be part of me within the kitchen. Then I let my youngsters stuff the jumbo pasta shells, grate mozzarella cheese, and chop the contemporary herbs with their littles plastic toddler knives. You’ll be able to by no means begin instructing them the way to cook dinner too younger – particularly simple pasta dishes!

What are Stuffed Shells?

This stuffed shell recipe is actually a brilliant tacky baked pasta dish, fairly just like lasagna or baked ziti. However as an alternative of layers of pasta and cheese, you’ll stuff jumbo pasta shells with cheese. And as an alternative of a meat sauce, we high with home made marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese mix. However you may simply use meat sauce if you happen to favor!

Excellent consolation meals for these nights you’re craving Italian-style consolation meals! We make it on a regular basis within the chilly winter months and for household gatherings and vacation celebrations.

I’ve Spicy Stuffed Shells Fra Diavolo and Caprese Stuffed Shells recipes right here on the weblog. And quite a lot of recipe will incorporate substances akin to floor beef, Italian sausage, and even frozen spinach into the sauce!

Make the Do-it-yourself Marinara Sauce

For this recipe, we’re maintaining issues traditional with a easy marinara sauce. However don’t let the phrase ‘traditional’ idiot you into considering meaning plain or boring! As a result of it most definitely doesn’t. This extremely scrumptious home made marinara sauce makes use of onion, olive oil, garlic, crushed tomatoes, and contemporary basil.

Need to bulk it up with some protein? Be happy so as to add Italian sausage or floor beef to the sauce. You’ll wish to totally cook dinner it, breaking it up as you do, till the meat is now not pink. Then add it to the sauce recipe.

Let’s Speak Ricotta Cheese Combination

• Like most stuffed shells recipes, this one options ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese. 
• Retailer purchased ricotta cheese works greatest. However in a pinch, you may make and use home made ricotta. Your ricotta combination is perhaps a little bit thinner.
• Two eggs add construction to the cheese combination. Don’t depart these out or the ricotta cheese combination will likely be runny!
• Contemporary basil and parsley – plus salt and pepper – add loads of contemporary taste. I don’t counsel utilizing dried herbs instead of the contemporary ones.

Can I Sub Cottage Cheese for Ricotta Cheese?

• Sure, you may technically sub cottage cheese for ricotta cheese on this recipe. Beneath are some recommendations on why you won’t wish to do it although. And a few recommendation for you in case you select to attempt it out.
• However cottage cheese is chunkier and extra acidic, so your cottage cheese combination can even be barely chunkier. In case you don’t thoughts that, it’s an awesome sub.
• Cottage cheese received’t have the identical richness as ricotta cheese, so you would add an additional egg yolk to the combination if desired.
• Personally, I don’t advocate subbing cottage cheese for ricotta cheese as a result of ricotta cheese tastes higher. And has a greater texture for this recipe.

Don’t Overcook the Jumbo Pasta Shells!

• Don’t over cook dinner your jumbo pasta shells. Actually, undercook them to make sure they don’t get gluey or too smooth within the baking dish.
• Boil them in a big pot of salt water for precisely 5 minutes, then drain them nicely and gently pat them dry. The shells will nonetheless be comparatively exhausting, however smooth sufficient so that you can stuff them.
• That is good, as a result of they are going to proceed to cook dinner within the oven. They usually’ll emerge completely cooked as soon as they’ve completed baking! Belief me right here… nobody need a soggy stuffed shell!
• I don’t advocate making this recipe with another noodle than jumbo pasta shells.

The right way to Make Stuffed Shells

1. Oven Prep: Preheat the oven half-hour earlier than you propose on baking. The oven have to be on the proper temperature earlier than you place the baking dish within the oven. In any other case the cheese received’t soften correctly.
2. Stuff the Jumbo Pasta Shells: Pour some marinara sauce on the underside of your casserole dish. Then stuff every jumbo pasta shell with a number of the ricotta cheese filling.
3. End Meeting: Nestle the jumbo pasta shells within the sauce as shut collectively as attainable. Then pour on the remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake the Stuffed Shells: Pop the baking dish within the oven for about 35 minutes. Or till the mozzarella cheese is melted, effervescent, and golden brown! You would possibly want so as to add a couple of minutes to the bake time if you happen to’re baking it in a thick ceramic casserole dish. Or if you happen to’re baking it after it’s been chilled within the fridge.
5. Ending Touches: Sprinkle the shells with contemporary chopped parsley and a little bit parmesan cheese. That is completely non-obligatory however so scrumptious.
6. Serve Heat: Stuffed shells are greatest served sizzling – or heat – so serve them as quickly as they arrive out of the oven. This can make sure the mozzarella cheese remains to be gooey and the jumbo shells are smooth and scrumptious.

Make it Forward: Refrigerate within the Baking Dish Till Able to Bake!

• You’ll be able to totally assemble this stuffed shells recipe as much as 24 hours upfront. Merely cook dinner as directed, cool fully, then cowl the dish with aluminum foil. Place it within the fridge till you’re able to bake.
• While you’re able to bake, take away the foil and bake as directed. You would possibly beed so as to add a couple of minutes to the bake time.
• You may as well freeze this stuffed shells recipe. Cook dinner, cool, and canopy with aluminum foil. Then freeze for as much as 2 months. I counsel making this in an aluminum baking dish if you happen to plan on freezing it.
• To thaw, take away the baking dish from the freeze and thaw it within the fridge in a single day. Then take away the casserole dish 1 hour earlier than you propose on baking and let it sit at room temperature. Bake as directed, including as many minutes to the bake time as wanted. Often 10 to fifteen.
• In case you’re making this recipe upfront and maintaining it within the fridge or freezer, I counsel undercooking the jumbo pasta shells. I counsel boiling for precisely 3 minutes. This simply ensures your noodles received’t get too smooth as they sit within the sauce.

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