Name: Extra Cheesy Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 26-30 Shells
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups marinara sauce (*See note); 26 - 30 Jumbo Pasta Shells; 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese; 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 1/2 tsp table salt (3/4 tsp kosher salt); 2 tbsp fresh chives, diced; 2 tsp Italian Seasoning; 12 ounces grated mozzarella, divided; 5 ounces grated parmesan cheese, divided

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Italian Stuffed Shells with Ricotta, Parmesan, and Mozzarella Cheese and Homemade Marinara

Pasta shells stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese, covered in my all-time favorite homemade marinara sauce, smothered with even more cheese, and baked until rich and saucy, and deliciously cheesy.

I don’t think there is any combination of pasta, marinara sauce, and cheese that I don’t love. Lasagna, of course, because, duh. But also, Meatballs and Marinara served with handfuls of grated parmesan. And, tender ravioli stuffed with cheese and smothered in sauce. Or simply a plateful of spaghetti noodles, marinara, and grated parmesan.

All of these delicious dishes require great pasta and copious amounts of cheese. But, what really separates “pretty good” from “can’t-stop-eating-this-because-it’s-sooooo-delicious” is the marinara sauce. So, this recipe begins with a big pot of my all-time favorite Homemade Marinara.

Why Homemade Marinara is Always Worth It

This marinara sauce is guaranteed to make your house smell like an Italian grandmother moved in and started cooking for you.

The recipe includes a bit of red wine, plus plenty of garlic, onions, crushed red pepper, Italian herbs, and fresh basil and parsley. It’s incredibly rich and thick, and so packed with flavor that you won’t be able to stop yourself from eating it by the spoonful. (Don’t even try.)

The sauce requires only about 15 minutes of hands-on time, but needs to simmer for at least 2 hours, so plan ahead. Get the sauce going a couple of hours before you want to start stuffing the shells – OR, make it in advance. Somehow, the sauce gets even better when allowed to chill out in the refrigerator for a day or two, so making it in advance is a great option.

The recipe makes 11 cups of sauce, which means you’ll have quite a bit left over after using a couple cups for these stuffed shells. My friends, this is a very good problem to have.

You could make a batch to serve with spaghetti noodles one night and have plenty left over for stuffed shells another. Or, portion out leftover sauce into zip top bags or other air-tight containers and toss it in the freezer. Leftover marinara sauce is AWESOME to have on hand and can be used to make…

Indian Shrimp and Rice
Eggplant and/or Chicken Parmesan
Homemade Pizza
Meatball Sandwiches
Homemade Meatballs and Marinara
The {BEST} Classic Lasagna with Italian Sausage
Chachouka (North African tomato and pepper stew)

Super Cheesy Stuffed Shell Filling

This recipe uses a combination of whole milk ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese plus a generous amount of Italian seasoning and some fresh chives for the shell filling. The result is a rich, cheesy filling with plenty of fresh flavor. Making the filling is as simple as dumping everything into a bowl and mixing it up, but stuffing the shells can get a bit messy…

Do not try to get the filling into the pasta shells all neat and tidy like. The shells are going to get covered in marinara and even more mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Just shove the filling in there all willy nilly then cover them up with spoonfuls of marinara, a ridiculous amount of cheese and bake.

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Yield: 26-30 Shells

Extra Cheesy Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups marinara sauce (*See note)
26 - 30 Jumbo Pasta Shells
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp table salt (3/4 tsp kosher salt)
2 tbsp fresh chives, diced
2 tsp Italian Seasoning
12 ounces grated mozzarella, divided
5 ounces grated parmesan cheese, divided

Instructions

Cook the shells: Fill a large saucepan about 2/3 full of water and add about a tablespoon of salt. (*See note) Bring the water to a boil then add the pasta shells. Cook the shells until they are slightly underdone. Drain in a colander placed in the sink. Run cold water over the shells to cool them down, then dump them into a bowl and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil. Set aside while you make the filling.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Make the filling: Add the ricotta, beaten egg, 1/2 tsp salt, chives, Italian seasoning, 4 ounces of mozzarella, and 1 ounce of grated parmesan to a bowl and stir to mix.
Spread about 1/2 cup of marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 inch rectangle baking dish. Stuff each pasta shell with a generous amount of ricotta filling, setting the stuffed shells in the pan, open side up.
Cover the stuffed shells with the remaining marinara sauce then sprinkle the remaining 8 ounces of mozzarella and 4 ounces of parmesaon over the top of the shells in an even layer.
Cover the pan, either with a lid or with aluminum foil that's been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray (to keep the cheese from sticking to it) and bake the shells for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until all the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling.
Remove the pan from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

My all-time favorite recipe for Homemade Marinara Sauce requires only about 15 minutes of hands-on time, but needs about 2 hours to simmer (longer if you wish).

It's important to add plenty of salt to the water when cooking pasta. Because most pasta doesn't contain any salt, it's important to cook it in boiling salt water so that it's properly seasoned. Adding a tablespoon or two of salt to the pot of water might seem like a lot, but the pasta itself will only absorb a small amount of that. In order to adequatly season pasta, the water it cookes in should taste salty - kind of like ocean water.

Extra Cheesy Ricotta Stuffed Shells