Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Ricotta Stuffed Shells Recipe
Big pasta shells full of ricotta make a friendly dinner to pass around the table. There is soft cheese tucked inside each shell and tomato sauce over the top, so even a modest scoop feels generous.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 12 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Stop the pasta boil a little early
Cook the jumbo shells one minute shy of the package directions before filling them; they still have a turn in the oven.
2. Mix the filling thoroughly
Combine the eggs, cheeses, garlic, herbs and seasoning well in the large bowl before spooning the mixture into shells.
3. Arrange in the baking dish
Put the filled shells into the specified baking dish before topping them with marinara for their oven cook.
Get to know the ingredients
Jumbo dried shells
Use the large dried pasta shells listed here, which have room for the spooned ricotta filling after boiling.
Beaten eggs
Beat the eggs before adding them to the ricotta mixture, then mix everything together well before filling the pasta.
Divide the Parmesan
Half the shredded Parmesan goes into the filling. The rest is available for the optional garnish after baking.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 7 steps completeMake room for Ricotta Stuffed Shells Recipe
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Parmesan at the end
After the marinara-topped shells have baked, add the remaining Parmesan as a garnish if you would like it.
A little more help as you go
The herbs belong inside
Dried parsley, basil and oregano are mixed into the ricotta filling, so their seasoning is inside the shells with the cheese.
Sauce covers the filled pasta
Spoon the filling into the shells first and arrange them in the dish, then add the marinara over them before baking.
A few questions you might have
Does the mozzarella go over the marinara?
The mozzarella is mixed into the ricotta filling with the eggs and other ingredients, before the shells are stuffed.
Should I fill the shells before boiling?
Boil the dried shells first, stopping just short of the package time, then spoon in the cheese mixture and bake with sauce.
Which cheese forms the main filling?
Ricotta is combined with mozzarella and half the Parmesan, together with beaten eggs, garlic, dried herbs and seasoning.
Does the garlic need a separate saute?
The directions add minced garlic directly to the filling bowl. There is no separate garlic-cooking stage before the shells are assembled.
Is the final Parmesan garnish required?
The directions make that garnish optional. Half of the Parmesan is already included in the filling before baking.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: dinnerthendessert.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
