Indulge in a culinary journey with our delectable baked shells, a symphony of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. These shells, crafted with tender pasta, are generously stuffed with a savory filling of ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses, enveloped in a rich and flavorful sauce. The classic baked shells with red sauce are a timeless favorite, featuring a vibrant tomato sauce made from scratch, bursting with fresh herbs and a hint of sweetness. For those seeking a creamy indulgence, the baked shells with Alfredo sauce offer a luscious, velvety sauce that coats each shell in a blanket of pure bliss. And for a unique twist, the baked shells with pesto sauce introduce a vibrant green sauce made from fresh basil, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese, creating a delightful symphony of flavors. Whether you prefer a classic red sauce, a creamy Alfredo, or a vibrant pesto, our baked shells promise an unforgettable culinary experience.
Let's cook with our recipes!
BAKED SHELLS WITH MEAT SAUCE RECIPE
This baked shells with meat sauce recipe is perfect for extended family dinners because it can feed 10-12 people.
Provided by Cheryl Najafi
Categories dinner
Time 1h15m
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Bring a large ovenproof pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Once the water reaches a rapid boil, add the pasta and stir to prevent sticking. Cook for only half of the recommended time-approx. 4-5 minutes. Drain the pasta in a colander then set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and move a rack to the lower 1/3 of the oven-make sure there is enough clearance for the pot!
- Meanwhile, place the same pot over medium-high heat and add the ground beef. Season with salt and cook, breaking it up into chunks until mostly browned. Add the diced onion, bell pepper and mushrooms and continue cooking an additional 5-6 minutes until the onion and bell pepper have begun to soften.
- Add the marinara sauce, sugar, dried basil, crushed red pepper flakes and tomatoes (with juice) and stir to combine. Bring liquid to a bubble then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 8 minutes then remove from heat.
- Stir in sour cream, provolone, mozzarella and partially cooked pasta shells. Combine thoroughly and top with Parmesan. Cover with lid or foil and bake 30-35 minutes, until bubbling. Remove from oven and garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 570 kcal, Carbohydrate 54 g, Protein 38 g, Fat 23 g, SaturatedFat 11 g, TransFat 1 g, Cholesterol 88 mg, Sodium 1240 mg, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 10 g, UnsaturatedFat 8 g, ServingSize 1 serving
QUICK SHELLS AND CHEESE
Provided by Ree Drummond : Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 16m
Yield 8 to 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- Heat the milk and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the cheeses and stir until melted. Stir in the pepper, salt and seasoned salt. Drain the pasta, and stir it into the cheese sauce. Serve immediately.
BAKED SHELLS & SAUCE W/ CHEESE
This was a quick throw together for supper and everything I already had on hand.
Provided by Nancy Allen
Categories Beef
Time 1h
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- 1. In a skillet over medium heat brown your hamburger this should take 15 minutes or so. Then add your cans of crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce and stir. then add the seasoning mix and blend.
- 2. Preheat your oven to 350. In a 13x9 baking dish, pour the entire box of uncooked shell macaroni. Evenly pour in the very hot & juicy meat and tomato mixture over the pasta.
- 3. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top, as well as the garlic powder over the cheese. Bake for 30 minutes with foil covering the surface. The cheese should be melted and the macaroni should be soft.
BAKED SHELLS
Provided by Rachael Ray : Food Network
Time 1h
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Salt the water, add the shells and cook for 2 to 3 minutes less than the package directions. Heads up: Remove and reserve 1 cup of cooking water just before draining.
- Meanwhile, heat a medium-sized pot or high-sided skillet over medium heat with the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the spinach, pulling it apart as you add it, and season with a little freshly grated nutmeg and salt, and pepper, to taste. When the spinach mixture is warmed through, transfer it to a small dish and reserve. Return the pot to the heat, add the butter and let it melt. Stir in the tomatoes and break them up with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, add the basil leaves, and cook to thicken the sauce, about 7 to 8 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Drain the pasta and return it to the hot pot. To the pasta, add the spinach, reserved pasta cooking water, ricotta cheese, and half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Adjust the salt and pepper, to taste, and transfer it to a baking dish. Top the pasta mixture with the tomato sauce, mozzarella, and remaining Parmigiano. Bake until the cheeses are melted and bubbly, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the shells from the oven and serve.
TOMATO, BASIL AND CHEESE BAKED PASTA
For kids ages 12 to 16 years.
Provided by Rachael Ray : Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 40m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water. Add small shell pasta and cook the pasta to al dente doneness which means that the pasta will still have a bite to it or be a little chewy. The pasta will soak up more juice and keep on cooking after we drain it, so we need it to be a little under cooked. The shells will probably cook about 9 or 10 minutes.
- Preheat a deep, big skillet or a medium sauce pot over medium heat.
- Place garlic on the cutting board and place the flat of your knife on top of each clove. Carefully give the garlic a whack with the palm of your hand to separate the cloves from the skins. Throw out the skins and chop up the garlic. Remember to keep your fingers curled under and the edge of your sharp, chef's knife tilted slightly away from your body.
- Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan by pouring a slow stream of it twice-around-the-pan. This will be about 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Do not let the oil pour out too fast. You are looking for a slow, steady stream. Add the garlic to the oil. To chop the onion, cut the ends off and cut the whole onion down the center. Wrap half and save it. Cut the other half into thin slices then twist the slices a quarter turn and chop them again. Hold the tip of knife on the cutting board and lift the back of the knife up and down over the onion to make the pieces really small. Add the chopped up onion to the garlic and oil. Cook, stirring a lot, 5 minutes until the onions are mushy and look cooked.
- Add the tomatoes to the onions and stir. When the tomatoes come to a bubble, reduce the heat under the sauce to low. Stir in basil pieces to wilt them. Season the sauce with salt and peppe, to your taste.
- Preheat your broiler to high and place a rack in the center of the oven.
- Drain pasta shells. Add them to a flameproof casserole dish. Add pesto sauce, 1 cup of ricotta cheese and a handful of grated Parmigiano, too. Stir carefully and coat the hot pasta with the pesto and cheeses. Pour the hot tomato and basil sauce over the pasta, as much as you like. You can always serve a little extra at the table, to pass around. Shred up some mozzarella cheese with a grater and scatter it over the pasta. Add a final sprinkle of Parmigiano to the mozzarella as well. Place the casserole under the broiler in the middle of oven, 10 to 12 inches from the heat. Let the cheese melt and bubble on top, 3 to 5 minutes.
SHELLS AND CHEESE
Super cheesy and decadently delicious, this Shells and Cheese Recipe is an easy, quick-fix dish that comes together in 20 minutes and always turns out perfect!
Provided by Kelly Anthony
Categories Main Course Side Dish
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In a large pot, bring pasta water to a boil and season heavily with salt. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain well and set aside until ready to use.
- In a medium-sized sauce-pan over medium heat, melt the butter and sprinkle over the flour. Whisk together and allow to cook for 2 minutes, taking care not to let it brown. Slowly, add the warmed cream a splash at time, whisking until smooth after each addition until it reaches a pudding-like consistency. At this point you may whisk in the remaining cream and half-and-half.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and add the cheddar a handful at a time, stirring after each addition until completely melted. Next, add the American cheese and stir until melted.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir. Pour cheese sauce over pasta, stir to coat, serve and enjoy.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 cup, Calories 613 kcal, Carbohydrate 48 g, Protein 17 g, Fat 40 g, SaturatedFat 24 g, Cholesterol 133 mg, Sodium 597 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 2 g
STUFFED SHELLS I
Jumbo macaroni shells stuffed with cheese mixture, covered with sauce, and baked.
Provided by SALLYJUN
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 50m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Cook shells according to package directions. Place in cold water to stop cooking. Drain.
- Mix together cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, and garlic powder. Rub the dried herbs in the palms of your hands to pulverize them, and stir into the cheese mixture. Stuff mixture into the shells.
- Spread 1/3 of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 15 x 10 inch pan. Place shells open side up, and close together in pan. Spread remaining sauce over top, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 557.4 calories, Carbohydrate 59.6 g, Cholesterol 97.9 mg, Fat 18.2 g, Fiber 4.3 g, Protein 37 g, SaturatedFat 9.8 g, Sodium 1197.5 mg, Sugar 10.6 g
STUFFED SHELLS III
This recipe is a hit wherever you go. It is a very rich and cheesy meal and looks like a deep-dish pizza when done. I altered what I was originally given because I did not like cottage cheese and added other ingredients that I thought it deserved.
Provided by Renee
Categories Main Dish Recipes Stuffed Main Dish Recipes
Time 1h30m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
- In a large bowl, mix eggs, ricotta, half the mozzarella, half the Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper until well combined. Stuff cooked shells with ricotta mixture and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, stir together pasta sauce, mushrooms and reserved mozzarella and Parmesan. Pour over stuffed shells.
- Bake in preheated oven 45 to 60 minutes, until edges are bubbly and shells are slightly set.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 549.7 calories, Carbohydrate 43.7 g, Cholesterol 115.6 mg, Fat 24.5 g, Fiber 3.4 g, Protein 37.7 g, SaturatedFat 13.9 g, Sodium 1544.2 mg, Sugar 9.3 g
STUFFED SHELLS WITH MEAT SAUCE
Even my "meat-and-potatoes" husband often requests these filling and flavorful shells. Chock-full of veggies and cheese, they make great cold-weather fare.
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h15m
Yield 8 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon oregano and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes., In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cottage cheese, spinach, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, seasoned salt and remaining oregano. Drain pasta shells; cool slightly. Stuff with cheese mixture., Spread 1 cup of meat sauce into each of 2 greased 11x7-in. baking dishes; arrange shells over sauce in a single layer. Pour remaining meat sauce over the shells. Cover and bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 481 calories, Fat 18g fat (10g saturated fat), Cholesterol 125mg cholesterol, Sodium 1300mg sodium, Carbohydrate 42g carbohydrate (12g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 36g protein.
Tips:
- For the best flavor, use freshly grated Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.
- If you don't have any cooked chicken on hand, you can easily substitute cooked ground beef or sausage.
- To make the dish even more flavorful, add a layer of sautéed mushrooms or spinach to the bottom of the shells before filling them.
- If you're short on time, you can use a jarred marinara sauce instead of making your own.
- Be sure to cook the shells al dente, so that they're still slightly firm in the center.
- If you don't have any jumbo shells, you can use regular-sized shells or even manicotti.
Conclusion:
Baked shells with cheese sauce is a delicious and easy-to-make meal that's perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion. With a few simple ingredients, you can create a dish that's sure to please everyone at the table. So next time you're looking for a quick and tasty meal, give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed!
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