Just like Nonna made! These stuffed shells are stuffed with 3 types of cheese and baked to perfection.
Ya know, I have to give props to Mr. Fantabulous. With my having surgery last week he has been taking unbelievable care of me. Now for those that know me personally, I’ll fill you in on a little secret – I’m a tad stubborn. Okay fine, I’m a lot stubborn when it comes to me being taken care of.
Therefore, with my being down and out for a week, Mr. Fantabulous had to fend for himself. Now trust me, even if I was held up for like a year the man would not starve due to the magnitude of food in this house. We’re talking full-blown meals in the freezers (yes multiple) – stuffed cabbage, peppers, sausage & peppers, breads, meats, etc… Not to mention the 25+ quarts of Italian Gravy I must have on hand at all time. And tuna.. cannot forget about tuna. Now wouldn’t you think that with having all that variety in the house you’d be set?! Apparently not… the man I swear lived on yogurt, peanut butter, tuna and protein bars.
Since I was feeling a tad better I decided to venture out to the kitchen and make him a real meal while he was working. As you all know his favorite thing in the world is pasta. The man eats it every day, though apparently not when I have surgery. Knowing this, I knew he had to be going through withdrawal. I was going to make lasagna but then I realized I was out (*mental note – add to shopping list*). Fortunately I spied half a box of stuffed shells. Awesome! I haven’t made him those in eons.
Stuffed shells, like lasagna, are super simple. I honestly think the hardest part out of all of it is boiling the noodles. Yeah I know they make those no-boil noodles but they are gross. They have an odd texture and flavor. What I like about these 2 dishes most is that they feed a large group, or Mr. Fantabulous for a couple of nights, and they are hearty. They are classically elegant but edgy enough that you can add just about anything to them (i.e, zucchini lasagna).
This dish took me about eh… 20 minutes to prep and about 35 minutes to bake. This could easily be done any night during the week or you can make this ahead of time and freeze. Just assemble as usual but do not bake. Simply wrap up in double plastic wrap and foil. See below how to bake frozen…
When Mr. Fantabulous walked in the door from work I could hear that “sniff sniff sniff Mmmmm” sound and I instantly perked up. As he was walking up the stairs he said “Wow, honey, I really miss your cooking! I swear I could smell you cooking like something awesome when I opened up the door! I can’t wait until you’re feeling better.”
As he rounded the corner I stood there with this…
Yeah… I got “Wife Of The Year” award…. again *giggle* Seeing those big gorgeous eyes light up followed by that amazing smile. That’s the best medicine any doctor could prescribe for my recuperation 🙂
Cheesy Italian Stuffed Shells
Just like Nonna made! These stuffed shells are stuffed with 3 types of cheese and baked to perfection.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: ~8-10 servings
- Category: comfort foods, freezer meals, italian shells, meal prep, pasta
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: comfort foods, freezer meals, italian shells, meal prep, pasta
Ingredients
- 20–22 Jumbo Stuffed Shells (~1/2 a box)
- 8 oz Ricotta Cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded
- 1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded (reserved for end)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese plus an additional two tablespoons reserved for the end
- 1 tablespoon parsley Flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups of prepared marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Boil the shells according to the package directions. Set aside to drain.
- While the shells are draining, mix the ricotta, egg, 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, parsley, and pepper. Combine well.
- Ladle 1 1/2 – 2 cups of marinara into the bottom of a baking dish. For this, I used a 10” round ceramic tart pan with a non-removable bottom (to prevent leakage). Spread the sauce evenly. You want a layer about 1/2-3/4” thick.
- Gently cup a shell in your hand, opening the shell up. Fill each shell with the cheese mixture. You can add as much as you like, depending on your cheese obsession. For this recipe, I added about 1 1/2 -2 rounded tablespoons. Nestle each stuffed shell side by side into the sauce. You don’t want it jammed in there, but you want to ensure each one can stand up without falling over. Take the remaining sauce and drizzle it over the top of the shells.
- Cover the pan with foil and set it on a cookie sheet before placing it in the oven. *Note – see freezing instructions below
- Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil. Top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Return it to the oven, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes to melt the cheese. Garnish with fresh oregano. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then serve.
Notes
*Note: At this point, you could freeze the pan. Double wrap in plastic wrap then foil. To reheat, remove the wrappings and place into a cold oven. Turn the temp to 350 and bake for about 40-45 minutes.
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