Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Ricotta Stuffed Shells are pure comfort food

Ricotta stuffed shells are pure comfort food for me. We weren’t a Mac n’cheese household. We were a stuffed shell household, with a side of garlic bread. I’ve loved these little bundles of cheese for as long as I can remember. My mom used to make a huge pyrex dish of them, so it would last two days, and I would keep sneaking into the kitchen and scarf one down while no one was watching until I’d made a huge dent, after which I would run upstairs and pretend to sleep so I wouldn’t be caught!

The ingredients are simple for these stuffed shells

I make this using simple ingredients. You can add chopped spinach or pureed spinach to the ricotta mix, but I prefer making the slike how my mom did, simple and delicious! Just add the egg to the ricotta so it sets a bit while baking, and season with salt, black pepper and chilli flakes. I like adding finely chopped parsley, but you can even add dried parsley. Don’t even try worrying about making the sauce. I use a remade jar of marinara, and you should too. These ingredients are there for our ease! All in all, everything comes together beautifully. You take a bite and the creamy ricotta oozes out of the pasta shell, all mixed in with delicious marinara and gooey cheese.

These are a great vegetarian main course

I love making these for friends and family when we get together. It’s so simple, but the presentation is so nice that it feels like special meal. This is a great vegetarian dinner option, although you don’t need to be a vegetarian to enjoy these. I’ve cut down our meat consumption to a couple times a week, and this is a great dinner option for one of those meatless days. You can also change up the filling. Spinach is an obvious option, but roasted egg plant or zucchini would be delicious in this. Roasted peppers or sun-dried tomatoes would also add great flavor.

Ricotta Stuffed Shells

These little parcels of cheesy ricotta and a tangy marinara are the perfect vegetarian meal!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Equipment

• 9×13 in baking dish

Ingredients

  

• 16 jumbo pasta shells prepared according to box instructions
• 24 oz marinara
• 15 oz ricotta
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1.5 cups mozarella shredded
• 1/2 cup parmesan grated

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 380 F
• In a medium bowl mix together the ricotta, egg and all the seasonings. Fold in the parmesan and 1/2 cup mozzarella.
• Spread a layer of sauce in the bottom of your baking dish.
• Fill each pasta shell with a teaspoon of marinara and a tablespoon of ricotta filling. Then place side by side in your baking dish. Spoon over a little sauce on each shell, then sprinkl eover the remaining mozzarella.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese has started turning golden brown and the sauce is bubbling. Serve warm.

Notes

Variations. You can add vegetables to the ricotta filling. Spinach is a great option, although I’ve added roasted egg plant and zucchini and it was phenomenal. Roasted peppers and sun dried tomatoes are a good options as well. 

Substitutions. Th parsley can be replaced with chopped basil. You can use dried herbs as well if you don’t have fresh herbs.   

Keyword Pasta, Ricotta, Vegetarian

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