Indulge in a culinary delight with our irresistible stuffed shells pasta bake, a symphony of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. This classic Italian dish features tender jumbo pasta shells generously filled with a delectable mixture of ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, and pecorino cheeses, spinach, and aromatic herbs. Bathed in a rich and velvety tomato sauce, each bite is a harmonious blend of textures and flavors that will leave you craving more. In this comprehensive guide, we present you with two variations of this beloved dish: a traditional version that stays true to its classic roots and a vegetarian option that offers a hearty and flavorful alternative. Both recipes promise a hassle-free cooking experience, ensuring that you can savor this culinary masterpiece without any fuss.
Let's cook with our recipes!
NO HASSLE STUFFED SHELLS PASTA BAKE
This is so easy and tastes just as good as standing there hand stuffing those shells.
Provided by Samantha Orso
Categories Pasta
Time 1h10m
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- 1. IN a large stock pot boil shells until al-dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Put back in to stock pot.
- 2. In pot combine pasta, ricotta, spinach, and sauce and mix well.
- 3. Pour mixture into a large baking dish and top with mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil.
- 4. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes cheese starts to brown.
STUFFED PASTA SHELLS
These savory shells never fail to make a big impression, even though the recipe is very easy. One or two of these shells makes a great individual serving at a potluck, so a single batch goes a long way. -Jena Coffey, St. Louis, Missouri
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 45m
Yield 12 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Combine cheeses and spinach; stuff into shells. Arrange in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Pour spaghetti sauce over the shells. Cover and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese after baking.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 314 calories, Fat 13g fat (7g saturated fat), Cholesterol 44mg cholesterol, Sodium 576mg sodium, Carbohydrate 32g carbohydrate (9g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 18g protein.
SPICY UNSTUFFED PASTA SHELLS WITH ROASTED GARLIC AND CHèVRE
Meet the easy weeknight version of stuffed shells: Garlicky unstuffed shells with goat cheese. This hearty, easy baked pasta is so good with so little effort.
Provided by Holly Erickson
Time 35m
Yield Serves 4
Number Of Ingredients 7
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.
SIMPLE STUFFED SHELLS (WITH NO MEAT OPTION)
For nights when you are too tired to fuss much. Adapted from Woman's Day. The cook time includes 20 minutes for cooking the pasta shells - this goes even faster if you already have your shells cooked,& drained in advance. NOTE: You might not need all of the shells in the box - before cooking, lay out the dry shells in your pan first to see how many you will need and only cook that many.
Provided by HeatherFeather
Categories Pasta Shells
Time 1h15m
Yield 10-12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375 F and grease a 9x13" casserole; if you have not already done so, prepare pasta shells according to package directions and also brown your sausage, drain & crumble.
- Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, all of the ricotta (use 2 cups if not using meat or if you like it very cheesey, even if you are using meat, otherwise use just 1 cup), as well as the parsley (reserving a small amount to garnish), egg, Parmesan cheese, garlic, nutmeg and black pepper.
- Pour sauce into the baking dish and then set the unfilled shells on top facing up so that you can fill them.
- Evenly portion out the crumbled sausage, if using, in the bottom of each shell.
- Spoon filling to a large ziptop plastic bag and snip off one corner.
- Pipe about 2 Tbsp filling into the each of the prepared pasta shells, or as much or as little as you prefer.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until sauce is bubbling under the foil.
- Remove foil, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and bake, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
- Serve extra sauce from the pan on the side.
STUFFED PASTA BAKE BOLOGNESE
Combine two favourites - bolognese and stuffed pasta shells - to make the ultimate pasta bake. Serve bubbling from the oven for true comfort food
Provided by Good Food team
Categories Dinner, Main course, Pasta
Time 2h30m
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- To make the bolognese, heat the oil in a wide ovenproof pan over a medium heat. Fry the onion, celery and carrot with some seasoning for 20 mins until soft and lightly golden. Tip in the beef mince, turn up the heat and fry, stirring regularly, for another 10 mins until the mince browns. Add the garlic, fry for a minute, then pour in the wine and bubble for a few mins more, scraping the pan to release any bits. Stir through the purée, bay leaves and tomatoes, with a canful of water. Simmer for 1½ hrs, covered for the first hour, then remove the lid and bubble until the tomatoes have broken down. Season with salt, pepper, the sugar and balsamic vinegar.
- Tip the pasta shells into a large heatproof bowl with a pinch of salt, and pour over a kettle of boiled water. Cover and leave to soften for 15-20 mins - they need to retain some firmness so you can fill them.
- Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 4 and drain the pasta. Use a fork to mash the mascarpone with the mozzarella, chopped basil, garlic and some black pepper in a bowl.
- The bolognese should be a little wetter than you'd like as the pasta shells will absorb some of the liquid as it bakes. Remove from the heat, giving it a final stir. Using a teaspoon, fill the pasta shells with some of the mascarpone mixture, pressing the mix in with your index finger. Nestle the shells into the sauce, filled-side up. Bake for 20-30 mins until the top is golden and bubbling, and the pasta is tender. Grate over some parmesan and finish with a few basil leaves.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 630 calories, Fat 37 grams fat, SaturatedFat 21 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 34 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 10 grams sugar, Fiber 4 grams fiber, Protein 30 grams protein, Sodium 0.7 milligram of sodium
MAKE-AHEAD UNSTUFFED SHELLS
Here's the saucy, creamy deliciousness of stuffed pasta shells-without the hassle of stuffing them and with the convenience of make-ahead preparation.
Provided by My Food and Family
Categories Home
Time 1h15m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt. Meanwhile, brown meat in large skillet; Drain. Stir in pasta sauce; simmer on medium heat 2 min. Remove from heat.
- Drain pasta. Mix cream cheese spread, basil, Parmesan, milk and Italian seasoning in large bowl until blended; stir in pasta. Spread half the meat sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover with layers of pasta mixture and remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella; cover with Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil. Refrigerate up to 24 hours.
- Heat oven to 375ºF. Bake casserole, covered, 40 to 45 min. or until heated through, uncovering after 30 min.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 570, Fat 23 g, SaturatedFat 12 g, TransFat 1 g, Cholesterol 95 mg, Sodium 940 mg, Carbohydrate 0 g, Fiber 5 g, Sugar 0 g, Protein 35 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
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients for the best flavor. Fresh herbs, good quality cheese, and flavorful sauce will make a big difference.
- Don't overcook the pasta shells. They should be cooked al dente, so they still have a slight bite to them.
- Make sure the filling is well-seasoned. Taste it before you stuff the shells and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- If you're using a homemade sauce, let it simmer for at least 30 minutes to develop the flavor.
- Don't crowd the baking dish. The shells should be in a single layer so they cook evenly.
- Cover the baking dish with foil during baking to prevent the shells from drying out.
- Let the stuffed shells rest for a few minutes before serving. This will help them to set and make them easier to eat.
Conclusion:
No-hassle stuffed shells pasta bake is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal or a special occasion. With a few simple tips, you can make sure that your stuffed shells are perfectly cooked and flavorful. So next time you're looking for a delicious and satisfying pasta dish, give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed!
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