Best 6 Authentic Italian Stuffed Shells Recipes

STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Once the water comes to a boil, heavily salt the water and add in the shells. Cook for 9 minutes, or 2 minutes less than the package directions state. Drain the pasta and allow it to cool slightly.
• While the pasta is cooking, prepare the filling by mixing together the ricotta egg, parmesan, garlic, parsley, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl.
• Spread a 2-quart baking dish with 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the pan.
• Once the shells are cool enough to handle, stuff each shell with the ricotta mixture, about 1/4 cup filling per shell. Remember to not overstuff the shells, so that the shells can somewhat close around the ricotta filling.
• Top the shells with the remaining spaghetti sauce and then cover with the mozzarella cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and browned.

ITALIAN STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat, crumbling beef, until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in water, tomato paste, bouillon and oregano. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. , Meanwhile, combine egg, cottage cheese, 1 cup mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Stuff shells with cheese mixture., Preheat oven to 350°. Arrange shells in a greased 13x9-in. or 3-qt. baking dish. Pour meat sauce over shells. Cover; bake 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes longer. Freeze option: After assembling, cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake as directed, adding remaining 1 cup mozzarella after 30-40 minutes and increasing time as necessary for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°.

STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook for half the cooking time on the package; make sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.
• In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, Romano, parsley, basil, egg, some salt and pepper and half of the Parmesan. Stir until combined.
• To assemble, coat the bottom of a baking dish with some sauce. Fill each half-cooked shell with the cheese mixture and place face-down on the sauce. Repeat with the shells until the cheese mixture is gone. Top the shells with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle on the mozzarella and extra Parmesan.
• Bake until hot and bubbly, 25 minutes. Serve with crusty French bread.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook shells in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet; place drained pasta on baking sheet to cool.
• Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet. Cook and crumble sausage until it has lost its pink color and begins to brown. Remove from heat; drain off grease.
• Stir half of the shredded cheese and the Italian seasoning into the browned sausage. Spoon mixture into the pasta shells (1 to 2 tablespoons per shell). Arrange stuffed shells in prepared baking dish. Pour marinara sauce evenly over the shells. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven until heated through and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake until browned, 5 to 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with a pinch of Italian seasoning, if desired.

STUFFED SHELLS III

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• In a large bowl, mix eggs, ricotta, half the mozzarella, half the Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper until well combined. Stuff cooked shells with ricotta mixture and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• In a medium bowl, stir together pasta sauce, mushrooms and reserved mozzarella and Parmesan. Pour over stuffed shells.
• Bake in preheated oven 45 to 60 minutes, until edges are bubbly and shells are slightly set.

"NOT SO ITALIAN" BUTTERNUT STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Filling -- In a large saute pan, heat up the olive oil on medium heat and saute the onion, garlic and scallion, just a minute or two. Add the orange liquor, orange zest, bread crumbs, salt and pepper and fresh sage. Cook just a minute until well coated, transfer to a large bowl and set to the side.
• Filling II -- Now in that same pan, add the butternut squash thawed right out of the box and just cook 1-2 minutes just to heat up and get any additional moisture out of the squash. Remove that and add to the bowl with the vegetables and bread crumbs. Add the ricotta in and mix well. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
• Pasta -- Cook the shells according to directions, however I remove a bit sooner as they will continue cooking in the oven. Just shy of being done. Remove from the heat, drain, cool and then stuff with the squash mixture.
• Bechamel Sauce -- In a small pot, add the butter and let melt on medium heat. Now add the flour to make a roux and cook just a minute to get the flour taste out. Add the cream and milk slowly and bring up to heat and let the sauce thicken. Add the seasoning and just let simmer till nice and creamy.
• Stuff and Bake -- Put the dish together and bake your shells. Oven to 375 preheated. Then spray a 13x9" casserole dish and put approximately 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom. Then line up your shells on top of the sauce. Top your shells with the bechamel and bake approximately 25 minutes covered for the first 15 then remove foil so they brown up.
• Let set just a few minutes 5 or so to set up, serve and top with any leftover sauce in the pan, sage and walnuts.