Stuffed Shells
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Learn how to make classic Italain stuffed shells. With a rich, cheesy filling and tender pasta baked right in the sauce, this dish is sure to become a family favorite
Stuffed shells are the kind of comforting, crowd-pleasing meal that everyone looks forward to. While most recipes require parboiling the shells, this version, adapted from Big Flavors from Italian America, skips that step. The shells bake right in the tomato sauce, becoming tender and flavorful, with a rich, cheesy filling and topping that’s every bit as satisfying as the heartiest lasagna or baked ziti.
To stuff the shells, disposable pastry bags come in handy. If you don’t have them, a ziplock bag with a snipped corner does the job well.
“Well, this is one of the best Italian-style meals that I’ve ever made…Raves all around.”
What You’ll Need To Make Stuffed Shells
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Used to sauté the onion and garlic, it creates a rich, flavorful base for the sauce.
- Yellow Onion and Garlic: The flavor foundation for the sauce.
- Crushed Tomatoes: Form the heart of the sauce, providing a thick texture and fresh tomato flavor.
- Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to offset the tomatoes’ natural acidity.
- Ricotta, Fontina or Mozzarella, and Pecorino Romano: Combine to create a creamy, melty, and slightly tangy filling for the shells. Make sure to buy whole milk ricotta for a smooth, creamy texture. Parmesan can be used in place of the Pecorino.
- Eggs: Bind the filling, ensuring it holds its shape and doesn’t ooze out during baking.
- Cornstarch: Stabilizes the filling.
- Fresh Basil, Dried Oregano & Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Add flavor to the filling and sauce
- Jumbo Pasta Shells: Their sturdy shape holds the rich filling and absorbs the flavorful sauce during baking.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1. Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant.
Step 2. Simmer the sauce. Add the crushed tomatoes, water, and sugar, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. (You can make the sauce ahead and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.)
Step 3. Make the filling. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, shredded fontina (or mozzarella), Pecorino Romano, eggs, basil, cornstarch, garlic, oregano, and salt. Mix until fully combined.
Step 4. Fill the piping bag. Transfer the ricotta mixture to a pastry bag or large zip-top bag.
Pro Tip: Folding the top of the bag outward over the rim of a tall glass helps keep it open and stable while you scoop in the filling—way less mess, and both hands stay free.
Step 5. Prepare the shells for filling. Arrange the cooked shells open-side up on the counter and snip a 1/2-inch opening at the tip of the bag
Step 6. Fill the shells. Pipe the filling into each shell until full.
Step 7. Assemble the dish. Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange the filled shells on top, open-side up. Nestling the shells close together helps them stay upright and evenly heat through.
Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the shells so they’re completely covered (this keeps them from drying out while baking).
Step 8. Bake covered. Cover tightly with foil and bake until the shells are tender and the sauce is bubbling, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining fontina over the top.
Step 9. Finish baking. Return the dish to the oven and bake uncovered until the cheese is lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. (Letting the dish rest before serving helps everything firm up a bit and makes it easier to serve clean portions.) The shells can be assembled and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead of time, or frozen for up to 3 months.
More Italian Pasta Dishes You’ll Love
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 large cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
For the Filling
- 1¼ cups 10 oz whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup 4 oz shredded fontina or whole-milk mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup 3.5 oz grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Shells
- 25 to 30 jumbo pasta shells from a 1-lb box (use only open, unbroken shells)
- 2 cups 8 oz shredded fontina or whole-milk mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- For the sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds (don’t brown the garlic). Stir in the crushed tomatoes, water, and sugar and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until flavors have melded, about 5 minutes. (The cooled sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
- For the filling: Stir all the ingredients in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Transfer the filling to pastry bag or large zipper-lock bag, and cut ½-inch off of the tip or corner of the bag. (If using a zipper-lock bag, be sure the corners are square; the rounded-corner bags are difficult to use.)
- For the shells: Adjust the oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the shells open side up on the counter. Pipe the filling into shells until each is full.
- Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of 9x13-inch baking dish. Transfer the shells, open side up, to the prepared dish. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the shells to completely cover.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until the shells are tender and the sauce is boiling rapidly, about 45 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and discard the foil; sprinkle the fontina or mozzarella over top. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese is lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let the dish cool, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes (this rest is essential to fully cook the pasta). Sprinkle with the basil and serve.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The stuffed shells can be assembled and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead of time, or frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then proceed with the baking instructions in the recipe. Leftover stuffed shells can also be frozen; if time allows, thaw before reheating, then cover with foil, and heat in a 325°F oven until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Fantastic ! Thank you so much for another great recipe. One question, why the cornstarch ?
So glad you liked it, Tanay! The cornstarch helps stabilize the cheese filling and bind it together. It also absorbs some of the excess liquid in the ricotta.
Do you not cook the shells to pre-denté before stuffing them with the mixture? All other recipes I see for this dish all cook the pasta shells. Thanks.
Maria
Hi Maria, That’s correct – the shells cook in the sauce. Enjoy!
Absolutely delicious! Comfort food on a cold, January night.
Two for one! (Insert link to bolognese here).
I used this recipe with Jen’s Bolognese recipe and it was OUTSTANDING! I only added a teaspoon of Calabrian chilis for a smidge of heat. This blog is my go-to for recipe inspiration. Thank you, Jen for making me feel like a more-than-amateur chef!