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stuffed shells recipe

Easy Three Cheese Italian Stuffed Shells

Crowd-pleasing Italian comfort food featuring jumbo pasta shells stuffed with a creamy three-cheese filling and baked in marinara sauce.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 52 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 32 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 12 ounces jumbo pasta shells
  • 32 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided as 2 cups and 1 cup
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese divided
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 28 ounces spaghetti sauce one jar
  • Nonstick cooking spray

Equipment

  • 9x13 baking dish
  • pastry bag or resealable plastic bag
  • aluminum foil
  • Large mixing bowl
  • spoon
  • Oven

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and coat a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Cook jumbo pasta shells according to package directions until just tender; drain.
  3. While pasta cooks, prepare filling by combining ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, eggs, parsley, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; mix well.
  4. Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the prepared dish.
  5. Fill each pasta shell with about 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture using a pastry bag or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off; arrange in the dish.
  6. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over the filled shells.
  7. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.
  8. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and bake uncovered for 10-12 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbling.
  9. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Do not overcook the pasta shells; they should be al dente to hold their shape when stuffed.