Description
A comforting, cheesy baked pasta dish made with jumbo shells stuffed with a creamy ricotta mixture, topped with marinara and mozzarella, and baked until bubbly. Perfect for easy family dinners or make-ahead meals.
Ingredients
- 20 jumbo pasta shells
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (plus more for topping)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried)
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the jumbo shells until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
- Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Fill each shell with 1–2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture and place them in the baking dish over the sauce.
- Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the shells and sprinkle additional mozzarella on top.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Add cooked spinach or mushrooms to the filling for extra veggies.
- For added protein, mix in cooked Italian sausage or ground beef.
- This dish can be assembled ahead and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking.
- Freezes well for up to 2 months. Add 10–15 minutes to bake time when cooking from frozen.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/5 of recipe (4 shells)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 640mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 21g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
