Easy Stuffed Shells Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What goes with stuffed shells? ›

Stuffed Shells Serving Suggestions

Round out the meal with a green salad and good bread. I often serve these stuffed shells with my Homemade Caesar Salad, but my Arugula Salad, Beet Salad, or Simple Green Salad would also pair well with this recipe. And when it comes to bread, you really can't go wrong!

Straight out of its container, even good-quality ricotta can be too wet, which will result in a watery filling later. To fix this, we start by spreading the ricotta on paper towels or a clean kitchen towel on a rimmed baking sheet, then top with more towels and let it stand for about five minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spoon the cheese mixture into each pasta shell and place open side up, in a single layer, in prepared pan. Pour the rest of sauce over the stuffed shells. Loosely cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

COOKING YOUR PASTA

For pre-bake cooking time; boil uncovered for 9 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and cool on a sheet pan. Fill shells according to desired recipe and bake. OR, to serve with your favorite Barilla sauce, boil uncovered for 12 minutes and drain well.

You should only be cooking the shells to al dente to start! Once your shells have reached this point, drain the hot water from the pot and replace it with cold water. This stops the shells from cooking any further than you want them to and also ensures that they won't stick together upon serving.

There are usually around 40 to 46 shells in a 12 oz box of jumbo shells. It's good to have more than this recipe calls for (36) because some shells rip or are broken.

Cook shells one minute shy of package instructions (so they don't fall apart when you're stuffing them), drain and arrange on a baking sheet so they don't stick together.

Thicken: Let the ricotta drain in a colander for a few hours. Thicker ricotta will keep the pasta in place and prevent especially soupy lasagna. Add salt and lemon juice: To enhance the flavor of your ricotta, try ripening it with salt and lemon juice.

Unlike the tubes of manicotti, the shells can hold an amount of stuffing equal to the size and shape of an egg. A cream or cheese sauce can coat these shells, as well as the meat, tomato, and vegetable sauces that also work well with manicotti.

The pasta called conchiglioni, usually marketed as “jumbo shells” here in the US, are filled with a ricotta cream enriched with mozzarella, napped with a simple marinara sauce and topped with a generous sprinkling of Parmesan before being baked in a hot oven.

How long are uncooked stuffed shells good for? ›

Tightly cover the uncooked stuffed shells with foil, and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. To cook: Place in the oven and cook according to the directions in the recipe below (you may need to add an additional 5 minutes to the bake time).

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add shells and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.

Once the shells are stuffed place them on an ungreased baking sheet. Cover and place in the freezer. Once the stuffed shells are frozen, place them in a plastic freezer bag and seal the bag. Store frozen.

The best side dishes to serve with manicotti are stuffed mushrooms, garden salad, zucchini fritters, Korean corn dogs, cauliflower pizza bowl, shrimp skewers, potato rosti, caprese salad, garlic bread, roasted Brussels sprouts, Italian sausage skewers, antipasto platter, minestrone soup, and stuffed peppers.

You can accomplish this popular feat of Italian-American origin by following recipes for either manicotti or stuffed shells. Both pastas are meant to be stuffed. The difference is in the details. Literally translated, manicotti means “l*ttle muffs.” The large tubes are made for stuffing.

Like most leftovers, your stuffed shells should last for three to four days in a fridge set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower . If you can't eat the extra stuffed shells so soon, put them in the freezer set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit and they will stay fresh for four months.