Description
These Easy Stuffed Shells are a comforting and satisfying dish that is perfect for a family dinner. Jumbo pasta shells are filled with a creamy mixture of whipped cottage cheese, Parmesan, fresh herbs, and seasonings, then baked in marinara sauce and topped with gooey melted mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta Shells:
- 12 ounces jumbo pasta shells
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Filling:
- 30 ounces whipped cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese)
- 6 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 egg
- 1–2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
- ¾ cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Assembly:
- 28 ounces marinara sauce
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare Baking Dish: Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread half of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the dish. Set aside.
- Cook Pasta: Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook pasta shells until slightly underdone according to package instructions.
- Prepare Filling: In a bowl, mix cottage cheese, Parmesan, egg, garlic, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper.
- Fill Shells: Stuff pasta shells with the cheese mixture and arrange in the baking dish.
- Add Sauce and Cheese: Cover shells with remaining marinara sauce and sprinkle mozzarella on top.
- Bake: Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly. Serve hot.
Notes
- You can customize the filling by adding cooked ground beef, sausage, or spinach.
- For a vegetarian option, swap out the Parmesan for a vegetarian-friendly alternative.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 1020mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
Keywords: Stuffed Shells, Pasta, Italian, Vegetarian, Easy Dinner
