Cheese stuffed shells
Jumbo pasta shells filled with a creamy three-cheese ricotta filling and baked in marinara, the cozy Sunday dinner that freezes beautifully.
- 70 min total
- 35 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 6
- About $2.01 a serving
- 540 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 6 servings.
- 28 jumbo pasta shells, a few extra for any that tear
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
- ½ cup grated parmesan, divided
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 jar marinara sauce, 24 oz
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp salt, plus ½ tsp
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 540 calories, 28 g protein, 50 g carbs and 25 g fat, and costs about $2.01 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No ricotta cheese? Cottage cheese works.
- No shredded mozzarella? Provolone slices work.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
- No fresh parsley? Cilantro works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 375°F. Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon salt, cover and over high heat.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Cook the shells 2 minutes less than the package says, stirring gently now and then so they don’t stick together.
High heatTimer: 10 min
them carefully, with the olive oil, and spread them on a to cool until you can handle them.
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Dolly’s tip: A few always tear. That’s why you cook extra.In a bowl, stir the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, ¼ cup parmesan, the egg, parsley, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, pepper and ½ teaspoon salt.
Spread 1 cup of marinara over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons of filling and set it open side up in the dish.
Dolly’s tip: A small spoon works, or snip a corner off a zip-top bag and pipe the filling in.Spoon the rest of the marinara over the shells and scatter the remaining mozzarella and parmesan on top.
Dolly’s tip: To freeze, wrap the dish well at this point and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.Cover with foil and 25 minutes.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Timer: 25 min
Uncover and bake 10 minutes more, until the sauce bubbles and the filling is hot in the middle.
Timer: 10 min
Food safety: For the safest eggs, cook until the whites are fully set and the yolks begin to thicken. Dishes made with eggs are done at 160°F.
Let it sit 5 minutes before serving.
Timer: 5 min
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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