Description
Italian Stuffed Shells Bake is a comforting dish that brings the flavors of Italy straight to your kitchen. Large pasta shells are generously filled with a creamy ricotta and mozzarella mixture, then smothered in rich marinara sauce and baked to perfection. This recipe is perfect for family dinners or gatherings, combining simplicity with restaurant-quality taste that will have everyone coming back for seconds.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 large pasta shells
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- ¼ cup fresh basil (chopped)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook the pasta shells according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, half of the mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and basil until smooth.
- Generously fill each shell with the cheese mixture and arrange them in a baking dish.
- Pour marinara sauce over the stuffed shells and sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed shell (approx. 150g)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 14g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
Keywords: For added nutrition, consider mixing in spinach or substituting ricotta with cottage cheese. This dish can be frozen before baking; just thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking.