This Stuffed Shells Recipe brings together soft pasta shells, creamy ricotta, and a savory marinara sauce for a classic Italian-inspired meal everyone will love.
author’s note
Stuffed Shells For Sharing, Freezing, And Feeding!
I had one of those days where I was trying to do too much. I told my friend I would bring her dinner. Then my husband surprised me with a dinner and concert date. I needed a meal I could finish earlier in the day, park in the fridge, and have someone else pop in the oven. I went straight to stuffed shells.
I boiled the shells in the morning, mixed the ricotta filling, stuffed each shell, tucked them into a pan with marinara, covered the whole thing, and told my sitter to bake it while I was out. After dinner I swung by home, nursed the baby, grabbed the hot pan, and dropped it off. Done.
That is why I love this recipe. I can prep the whole dish, stop before baking, and it still tastes fresh later. It is also the dish I double. One pan for us, one pan to freeze. Families love it, new moms love it, and it travels so well.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Swap or Tip |
|---|---|
| Jumbo pasta shells | Cook a few extra in case some tear |
| Ricotta cheese (whole milk) | Part skim works but is less rich |
| Egg | Leave out for egg free, the filling will just be softer |
| Mozzarella, freshly shredded | Provolone or Italian blend works. Avoid pre-shredded for better melt |
| Parmesan, freshly grated | Pecorino Romano for sharper flavor |
| Marinara sauce | Use homemade for extra flavor or choose a good jarred one |
| Fresh basil or parsley | Dried Italian blend works if that’s what you have |
How To Make Stuffed Shells Recipe
- Boil shells: Cook in salted water. Rinse and spread on parchment so they do not stick.
- Mix filling: Stir ricotta, egg, herbs, garlic, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Season well.
- Stuff: Add filling to a bag, snip the corner, pipe into each shell.
- Assemble: Spread half the sauce in a pan, add shells on top, cover with rest of sauce.
- Bake: Cover and bake until hot. Uncover, add the last of mozzarella, and bake again.
- Serve: Top with basil and more pepper.
Stuffed Shells Recipe Tips
- “Stuff” the shells easily: Add the cheese mixture to a large zip-top bag, press it to one side, snip a 1-inch corner, and pipe it into each shell.
- Cook a few extra shells: Some may tear, so boil a few extras just in case.
- Cover fully: Make sure every shell is coated in marinara to prevent dry edges.
Storage
- To Store: Keep cooked stuffed shells in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–5 days. Reheat covered at 350°F until warmed through.
- To Make Ahead: Assemble the shells, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 3 days before baking. Add 5 extra minutes to the bake time if cold.
- To Freeze: Assemble but don’t bake. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake as directed, adding 5–10 extra minutes if needed.
Serve With One Of The Following Sides:
Recipe For Stuffed Shells
Stuffed Shells are the perfect comfort food—tender pasta shells packed with creamy ricotta, Italian herbs, and rich marinara sauce. Simple, cheesy, and so satisfying!
Ingredients
- Salt and pepper
- 25 to 26 jumbo pasta shells uncooked
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese freshly shredded, divided
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 3 cups marinara sauce 1 and a half jars, or homemade marinara sauce
- Fresh basil or parsley, for topping shells, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a generous amount of salt and add the pasta shells. I usually cook a few extra in case some fall apart. Cook for half the time indicated on the package plus 1 minute. (About 5–6 minutes, depending on the package). Drain the shells and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and allow them to be easily separated. Drain off water and separate onto a sheet of parchment paper on the counter.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg with a fork. Add in ricotta cheese and mix until completely combined. Add basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, minced garlic, and salt and pepper. (I use about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.) Stir gently.
- Finely grate the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Add 2 cups of the mozzarella and all the Parmesan cheese into the cheese mixture. Gently stir to completely combine.
- Transfer this cheese mixture to a large (gallon-sized) resealable plastic bag. Snip off 1 inch of the corner of the bag and “pipe” the cheese mixture into each of the shells. Each shell should get about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture (which should fill 25–26 shells).
- Spread half the marinara sauce evenly across the bottom of a 3-quart (9×13-inch) baking dish.
- Place stuffed shells in the baking dish with the open side facing up. Pack the shells close together.
- Cover shells evenly with the remaining 2 and 1/2 cups marinara sauce. Aim to completely cover all the shells to avoid hard parts of the shells. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove foil and add the remaining 1 cup mozzarella evenly over the shells. Return to the oven for 5–7 more minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm with freshly chopped basil if desired. I also like to add a little more cracked pepper to the top!
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Store cooked pasta shells for 3–5 days in the fridge. More info here. To freeze, fill all the shells with cheese and place them on a large sheet pan. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and foil and allow to freeze completely. Once frozen, transfer shells to large freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 633mg | Potassium: 144mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 606IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 494mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Variations
- Spinach version: Sauté or microwave then squeeze dry before stirring into the ricotta so the filling does not get watery.
- Herb version: Extra basil, parsley, and a little lemon zest for freshness.
- Stuffed Shells with Chicken: Check out this chicken Parmesan stuffed shells recipe.
- Meaty version: Brown Italian sausage or ground beef, drain well, cool, then fold through part of the ricotta.
Stuffed Shells Recipe FAQs
Can I make this without ricotta
Yes. Use cottage cheese that has been blended until smooth, then continue as written.
Can I use another pasta shape
You can use manicotti. Fill the tubes and bake the same way.
This is a very well developed recipe and delicious! I did add chopped spinach mostly for the visual. I also made it for freezing per recipe and it was great. Thank you!
So thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Jen!
I make this for the vegetarians that come to our home for Thanksgiving. It’s a pleaser.
Make ahead dishes like this come in handy.
Enjoy.
I love this idea! Thanks so much Carly! 🙂
Hello. Your stuffed shells recipe look good. I found it while searching for make-ahead, freezable shells. I appreciate the info you’ve provided, but I’m confused about your comments regarding not cooking the shells before stuffing and freezing them. Is it possible to stuff uncooked shells? Won’t they just break? I’m guessing you meant that the shells should be cooked (boiled in water al dente), stuffed and frozen, but NOT BAKED in the oven with sauce. Is that correct? Please clarify this. Thank you!
Sue D.
Yes not baked in the oven! 🙂
I’ve always made six meals at one time and froze 5 all cooked and with sauce on them before freezing and always were amazing
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks! 🙂
Great recipe. Next time can I cook the shells make the ricotta stuffing and sauce put both in fridge and assemble the next day before baking
If you freeze them, do you defrost the shells before cooking them or do you cook them from frozen? Thanks!
Always cook them from frozen. I would never cook them shell up. Real Italians always tuck the shell face down. This keeps the inside cheese a bit less saucy.
Right side up, says an Italian grandma, so she disagrees with you as to how they’re placed in the dish.
If you are making these to freeze are the shells completely uncooked or partially cooked?
Would it be okay to freeze them with them already sauced? I was going to open a large jar of pre-made sauce and hate to waste it.
I freeze my extra sauce separately. This is convenient (and less messy for me) because I put the shells in one food saver bag and the sauce in another.
This was really good. The only change I made was to use Costco’s parm/romano cheese instead of parm alone. Since the shells were only partially cooked it did take longer to bake than the recipe states. It was in our oven for an hour but it was SO worth the wait. Thanks for a great recipe.
So glad you enjoyed this! Thanks for the comment and review 🙂