Best 6 Light Stuffed Pasta Shells Recipes

THE BEST STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• For the marinara sauce: Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic has softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat, add the basil and dried oregano, partially cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 45 minutes.
• Remove the basil sprig. If the sauce is still too chunky, mash the larger chunks of tomato with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
• For the shells and filling: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the dried pasta shells cook, stirring occasionally, until softened slightly but not cooked. (The pasta shells should flexible enough to be filled but remain very al dente; they will continue to cook during baking.) Drain, then run under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well again.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley and egg in a large bowl until well combined and uniform. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a large disposable pastry bag or large resealable plastic bag (or use a spoon for filling directly from the bowl).
• Spread 2 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Snip off the end of the pastry bag and squeeze the filling into the shells one at a time. Arrange the shells open-side up in a tight single layer in the baking dish as you fill them. Top with the remaining marinara sauce. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake the shells until the sauce is bubbling throughout and the filling is heated through, about 35 minutes.
• Remove the foil from the pan and continue to bake for 10 more minutes to reduce the sauce. Let cool slightly before serving. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

TUNA-FILLED SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Meanwhile in a saucepan, combine the flour, milk, dill and salt until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour 1-1/4 cups sauce into a 2-qt. baking dish; set aside. , In a nonstick skillet, saute celery and onion in oil until tender. Add bread. Stir in the tuna, salad dressing and cheese; mix well. Drain shells; stuff with tuna mixture. Place over sauce. Drizzle with remaining sauce. Cover and bake at 350° until bubbly and heated through, 25-30 minutes.

LIGHT STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta shells according to package directions; rinse and drain well.
• Meanwhile in a medium saucepan combine the onion,pepper,bouillon granules, and water; bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is tender.
• Stir in undrained tomatoes and tomato paste; simmer for 10 minutes and remove from heat.
• Set aside 1/3 cup of the tomato mixture for the filling.
• For the chicken filling, mix the chicken,mushrooms,paprika, and pepper.
• Add the reserved tomato sauce and mix well.
• Spray a 12X71/2X2 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Stuff the pasta shells with chicken filling, using about 2 1/2 tablespoons filling per shell.
• Place filled pasta in dish; pour remaining tomato mixture on top.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through.
• Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and continue baking for 5 minutes more.
• Remove from oven and serve.

STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Make the sauce: In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the paste turns one shade darker, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée, season with salt, then bring to a simmer. Cover halfway to reduce splattering, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Make the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 1 cup Parmesan and the egg yolks. Grate the garlic directly into the bowl, then season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine, then set aside.
• Add the shells to the boiling water and cook until just shy of al dente. (You'll want to cook the shells about 2 minutes less than the minimum time listed on the package, as the shells will continue to cook in the oven in Step 5.) Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to cool. Count out 24 shells. (You will have cooked off more shells than will fit in the dish; that's insurance in case any rip. Reserve extras for another use.)
• Stir the pasta water into the sauce, then add half the sauce to a 3-quart/9-by-13-inch baking dish and spread it in an even layer. Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling into each of the 24 shells, lining up the stuffed shells in the dish as you go. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1 cup Parmesan.
• Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. (If you'd like to brown the cheese, you can broil for a few minutes.) Let sit 5 minutes, then serve.

SPICY UNSTUFFED PASTA SHELLS WITH ROASTED GARLIC AND CHèVRE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Fill a large pot with 4 quarts water and add the salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for 8 minutes; it will be underdone. Reserve ¾ cup of the liquid and drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet, combine the marinara, roasted garlic, 1 ounce of the chèvre, and the red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the cheese is fully incorporated, about 2 minutes.
• Add the pasta to the skillet along with the reserved cooking liquid. Cook over medium heat, stirring to combine, about 2 minutes. Dollop the remaining 3 ounces chèvre all over.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Turn on the broiler and cook until the cheese is brown and bubbly, about 2 more minutes.
• Top with the parsley and more red pepper flakes. Serve warm.

ARTICHOKE AND SPINACH STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Combine spinach artichoke dip and ricotta cheese in a bowl. Stir in egg, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper; mix until well-combined. Set aside.
• Bring white sauce to a simmer over medium-low heat. Stir in grated Gruyere cheese until cheese is melted and incorporated into sauce, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Stir in shells and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, but still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain. Set aside.
• Pour half the white sauce mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish; spread evenly.
• Stuff pasta shells with the spinach artichoke mixture and place in casserole dish atop the white sauce, stuffed-side up.
• Pour remaining white sauce over the tops of the shells and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and bubbling, about 25 minutes.