**Indulge in the Exquisite Symphony of Flavors with Stuffed Shells, Featuring a Meatless Twist**
Embark on a culinary journey with delectable stuffed shells, a symphony of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. This dish, steeped in tradition, combines tender jumbo pasta shells with a savory filling, creating a delightful experience in every bite. For those seeking a meatless indulgence, we present a tantalizing vegetarian filling crafted from spinach, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and ricotta, enveloped in a rich and creamy tomato sauce. Alternatively, savor the classic rendition brimming with ground beef, sausage, and spinach, bathed in a delectable marinara sauce, offering a hearty and satisfying indulgence. Whichever path you choose, these stuffed shells promise an explosion of flavors and textures that will leave you craving more. Let's delve into the recipes and explore the culinary wonders that await.
CHEESY MEATLESS STUFFED SHELLS
Jumbo shells are stuffed with a flavorful mixture of Impossible™ burger plant-based ground protein, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, and ricotta cheese then topped with marinara and lots of cheese and baked up until golden and bubbly!
Provided by Pink Owl Kitchen
Categories 100+ Everyday Cooking Recipes Vegetarian Main Dishes Pasta
Time 1h5m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add shells and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 9 minutes.
- While the shells are cooking, heat olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatless ground beef and cook and stir until brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes; add spinach and simmer until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes more. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat and mix in ricotta cheese and egg until fully incorporated.
- Pour 1/2 cup marinara sauce into the bottom of a 12-inch cast iron skillet or a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread out with the back of a large spoon.
- Drain cooked shells. Stuff each with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the "meat" mixture. Arrange in the skillet or baking dish. Pour remaining marinara over the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Sprinkle with remaining Italian seasoning and more black pepper.
- Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is golden and bubbly, 35 to 45 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 668.8 calories, Carbohydrate 66.9 g, Cholesterol 75.6 mg, Fat 25.2 g, Fiber 7 g, Protein 28.9 g, SaturatedFat 10.2 g, Sodium 1379.3 mg, Sugar 13.7 g
THE BEST STUFFED SHELLS
Here's our upgrade on the Italian-American comfort food classic. We used three different cheeses to get the ultra-creamy filling just right. It really balances the tangy homemade tomato sauce.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 2h30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 15
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.
EASY BEEF-STUFFED SHELLS
Here's a rich and comforting dish that's terrific right away or made ahead and baked the next day. Pesto makes a surprising filling for these stuffed shells with meat sauce. -Blair Lonergan, Rochelle, Virginia
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h30m
Yield 10 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Cook pasta shells according to package directions to al dente; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1-1/2 cups Italian cheese blend, Parmesan cheese, pesto, egg and half of the beef mixture., Spread 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Spoon cheese mixture into pasta shells; place in baking dish. Combine remaining beef mixture and spaghetti sauce; pour over shells. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight., Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake until cheese is melted, 5-10 minutes longer.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 405 calories, Fat 22g fat (10g saturated fat), Cholesterol 90mg cholesterol, Sodium 730mg sodium, Carbohydrate 26g carbohydrate (8g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 25g protein.
SIMPLE STUFFED SHELLS
A make-ahead version of an Italian classic, these cooked pasta shells are stuffed with hearty beef, ricotta and mozzarella. Make a double batch and keep one in the freezer for a handy potluck dish.
Provided by By Paula Jones
Categories Entree
Time 1h30m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
- In 2-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add beef. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked. Stir in tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low; cook uncovered about 20 minutes until liquid is reduced.
- Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta shells as directed on box, using minimum cook time. Rinse with cold water to cool; drain.
- In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, the egg and 2 tablespoons basil.
- Spoon about 2 cups meat sauce into baking dish. Using small spoon, carefully fill each pasta shell with about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture (do not overfill). Invert shells and place on sauce in baking dish. Spoon remaining meat sauce over shells. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
- Bake uncovered about 30 minutes until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted. Garnish with additional basil.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 680, Carbohydrate 62 g, Cholesterol 125 mg, Fat 1 1/2, Fiber 4 g, Protein 43 g, SaturatedFat 13 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 870 mg, Sugar 6 g, TransFat 1 g
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.
EASY STUFFED SHELLS
I threw this recipe together one day when we had unexpected guests. It was an immediate hit and is now a family favorite. Get the kids involved when putting together this simple, savory dish. -Dolores Betchner, Cudahy, Wisconsin
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h
Yield 12 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta shells according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water., Spread 1/2 cup sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Fill each shell with a meatball; place over sauce. Top with remaining sauce and the cheese., Bake, covered, 35 minutes. Uncover; bake until bubbly and cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes longer.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 334 calories, Fat 17g fat (8g saturated fat), Cholesterol 45mg cholesterol, Sodium 711mg sodium, Carbohydrate 30g carbohydrate (6g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 16g protein.
Tips:
- Choose the right pasta shells. Jumbo shells are the most popular choice for stuffed shells, but you can also use medium or large shells. Make sure the shells are cooked al dente, so they're still firm but not too hard.
- Use a variety of fillings. The possibilities are endless when it comes to fillings for stuffed shells. Some popular options include ricotta cheese, spinach, mushrooms, artichokes, and zucchini. You can also add cooked meat, such as chicken or sausage, to the filling.
- Don't overstuff the shells. Overstuffed shells will be difficult to eat and may fall apart. Fill the shells just until they're plump, but not so full that the filling is oozing out.
- Bake the shells until they're golden brown. The shells should be baked until they're golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly. This will usually take about 20-30 minutes.
- Serve the shells immediately. Stuffed shells are best served immediately, while they're still hot and fresh. You can garnish the shells with grated Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, or a drizzle of olive oil.
Conclusion:
Stuffed shells are a delicious and versatile dish that can be made with a variety of fillings. They're perfect for a weeknight meal or a special occasion. With a little planning, you can create a stuffed shell dish that everyone will love.
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