When it comes to creating a simple and flavorful stuffed shell dish without meat, there are endless possibilities to explore. Whether you're a vegetarian or simply seeking a meatless meal, this culinary journey promises a delicious adventure. With a variety of fillings such as cheese, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and herbs, the possibilities are endless. Discover a world of flavors and textures as you embark on a quest to find the perfect stuffed shell recipe that satisfies your taste buds and brings joy to your dining table.
Let's cook with our recipes!
CHEESY MEATLESS STUFFED SHELLS
Jumbo shells are stuffed with a flavorful mixture of Impossible™ burger plant-based ground protein, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, and ricotta cheese then topped with marinara and lots of cheese and baked up until golden and bubbly!
Provided by Pink Owl Kitchen
Categories 100+ Everyday Cooking Recipes Vegetarian Main Dishes Pasta
Time 1h5m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add shells and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 9 minutes.
- While the shells are cooking, heat olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatless ground beef and cook and stir until brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes; add spinach and simmer until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes more. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat and mix in ricotta cheese and egg until fully incorporated.
- Pour 1/2 cup marinara sauce into the bottom of a 12-inch cast iron skillet or a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread out with the back of a large spoon.
- Drain cooked shells. Stuff each with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the "meat" mixture. Arrange in the skillet or baking dish. Pour remaining marinara over the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Sprinkle with remaining Italian seasoning and more black pepper.
- Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is golden and bubbly, 35 to 45 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 668.8 calories, Carbohydrate 66.9 g, Cholesterol 75.6 mg, Fat 25.2 g, Fiber 7 g, Protein 28.9 g, SaturatedFat 10.2 g, Sodium 1379.3 mg, Sugar 13.7 g
NO-BOIL STUFFED SHELLS
No more wrangling slippery shells. This recipe lets you skip the step of boiling your pasta before stuffing it with cheese. Just fill the shells straight out of the box (it's much easier!) and let the sauce turn them plump and tender in the oven.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 1h30m
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine the garlic, egg, ricotta, Parmesan, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Fold to combine. Transfer the mixture to a resealable plastic bag and snip a 1/4-inch hole in the corner.
- Spread 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pipe the ricotta mixture into the shells and arrange them opening-side up in the baking dish. Cover with the remaining sauce and 1 1/2 cups water.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil, top with the remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and bake until almost all the liquid has evaporated and the cheese is browned, about 10 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes. Top with the remaining parsley before serving.
THE BEST STUFFED SHELLS
Here's our upgrade on the Italian-American comfort food classic. We used three different cheeses to get the ultra-creamy filling just right. It really balances the tangy homemade tomato sauce.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 2h30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- For the marinara sauce: Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic has softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat, add the basil and dried oregano, partially cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 45 minutes.
- Remove the basil sprig. If the sauce is still too chunky, mash the larger chunks of tomato with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
- For the shells and filling: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the dried pasta shells cook, stirring occasionally, until softened slightly but not cooked. (The pasta shells should flexible enough to be filled but remain very al dente; they will continue to cook during baking.) Drain, then run under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well again.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley and egg in a large bowl until well combined and uniform. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a large disposable pastry bag or large resealable plastic bag (or use a spoon for filling directly from the bowl).
- Spread 2 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Snip off the end of the pastry bag and squeeze the filling into the shells one at a time. Arrange the shells open-side up in a tight single layer in the baking dish as you fill them. Top with the remaining marinara sauce. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake the shells until the sauce is bubbling throughout and the filling is heated through, about 35 minutes.
- Remove the foil from the pan and continue to bake for 10 more minutes to reduce the sauce. Let cool slightly before serving. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
EASY BEEF-STUFFED SHELLS
Here's a rich and comforting dish that's terrific right away or made ahead and baked the next day. Pesto makes a surprising filling for these stuffed shells with meat sauce. -Blair Lonergan, Rochelle, Virginia
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h30m
Yield 10 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Cook pasta shells according to package directions to al dente; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1-1/2 cups Italian cheese blend, Parmesan cheese, pesto, egg and half of the beef mixture., Spread 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Spoon cheese mixture into pasta shells; place in baking dish. Combine remaining beef mixture and spaghetti sauce; pour over shells. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight., Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake until cheese is melted, 5-10 minutes longer.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 405 calories, Fat 22g fat (10g saturated fat), Cholesterol 90mg cholesterol, Sodium 730mg sodium, Carbohydrate 26g carbohydrate (8g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 25g protein.
SIMPLE STUFFED SHELLS
A make-ahead version of an Italian classic, these cooked pasta shells are stuffed with hearty beef, ricotta and mozzarella. Make a double batch and keep one in the freezer for a handy potluck dish.
Provided by By Paula Jones
Categories Entree
Time 1h30m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
- In 2-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add beef. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked. Stir in tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low; cook uncovered about 20 minutes until liquid is reduced.
- Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta shells as directed on box, using minimum cook time. Rinse with cold water to cool; drain.
- In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, the egg and 2 tablespoons basil.
- Spoon about 2 cups meat sauce into baking dish. Using small spoon, carefully fill each pasta shell with about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture (do not overfill). Invert shells and place on sauce in baking dish. Spoon remaining meat sauce over shells. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
- Bake uncovered about 30 minutes until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted. Garnish with additional basil.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 680, Carbohydrate 62 g, Cholesterol 125 mg, Fat 1 1/2, Fiber 4 g, Protein 43 g, SaturatedFat 13 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 870 mg, Sugar 6 g, TransFat 1 g
STUFFED VEGETARIAN SHELLS
When my aunt first told me about these shells, they sounded like a lot of work-but the recipe whips up in no time. Sometimes I add a little cooked bacon to the ricotta filling. -Amelia Hopkin, Salt Lake City, Utah
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 50m
Yield 8 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, broccoli, mozzarella, egg whites and seasonings. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water., Spread half the spaghetti sauce into a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Stuff pasta shells with ricotta mixture; arrange over spaghetti sauce. Pour remaining sauce over pasta shells. , Cover and bake at 375° for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake until heated through, about 5 minutes longer.,
Nutrition Facts : Calories 279 calories, Fat 8g fat (5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 26mg cholesterol, Sodium 725mg sodium, Carbohydrate 36g carbohydrate (8g sugars, Fiber 4g fiber), Protein 18g protein. Diabetic Exchanges
SIMPLE STUFFED SHELLS (WITH NO MEAT OPTION)
For nights when you are too tired to fuss much. Adapted from Woman's Day. The cook time includes 20 minutes for cooking the pasta shells - this goes even faster if you already have your shells cooked,& drained in advance. NOTE: You might not need all of the shells in the box - before cooking, lay out the dry shells in your pan first to see how many you will need and only cook that many.
Provided by HeatherFeather
Categories Pasta Shells
Time 1h15m
Yield 10-12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375 F and grease a 9x13" casserole; if you have not already done so, prepare pasta shells according to package directions and also brown your sausage, drain & crumble.
- Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, all of the ricotta (use 2 cups if not using meat or if you like it very cheesey, even if you are using meat, otherwise use just 1 cup), as well as the parsley (reserving a small amount to garnish), egg, Parmesan cheese, garlic, nutmeg and black pepper.
- Pour sauce into the baking dish and then set the unfilled shells on top facing up so that you can fill them.
- Evenly portion out the crumbled sausage, if using, in the bottom of each shell.
- Spoon filling to a large ziptop plastic bag and snip off one corner.
- Pipe about 2 Tbsp filling into the each of the prepared pasta shells, or as much or as little as you prefer.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until sauce is bubbling under the foil.
- Remove foil, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and bake, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
- Serve extra sauce from the pan on the side.
MEAT STUFFED JUMBO SHELLS
I found this recipe on the back of the San Giorgio jumbo shells box. I've tried a lot of other stuffed shells recipes but I always come back to this one. My hubby loves it and asks for this as his special birthday meal every year. Enjoy!
Provided by DragonIady
Categories Pasta Shells
Time 1h45m
Yield 36 shells, 10-12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
- Cool in single layer on foil or wax paper.
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Meanwhile, in large skillet, brown meat; drain.
- In large bowl, stir together meat, eggs, bread crumbs, mozzarella cheese (if desired), onion, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons meat filling.
- Spread thin layer of sauce on bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking dish.
- Place filled shells in prepared baking dish; cover with remaining sauce.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Cover with foil.
- Bake 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
MEAT-FREE STUFFED SHELLS
Veg-friendly stuffed shells.
Provided by Melissa Lanier Harris
Categories Vegetarian Pasta Main Dishes
Time 1h10m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the shell pasta, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 13 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink, and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a skillet, and cook and stir the mushrooms, onion, and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Mash the tofu roughly with a fork in a bowl, and mix in the mushroom mixture, bread crumbs, spinach, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning; stir until combined. If mixture seems crumbly, stir in an egg.
- Pour enough pasta sauce into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish to coat the bottom. Fill each shell with about 1 1/2 tablespoon of filling, and place into the dish in a single layer. Spoon remaining sauce on top of shells. If there's any remaining filling, scatter that over the sauce, and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the filling is hot and set and the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 526 calories, Carbohydrate 64.5 g, Cholesterol 69.7 mg, Fat 17.8 g, Fiber 5.6 g, Protein 27.4 g, SaturatedFat 8.3 g, Sodium 721.4 mg, Sugar 10.6 g
Tips:
- For a crispier shell, bake the stuffed shells for an extra 5-10 minutes.
- To prevent the shells from drying out, cover them with aluminum foil while baking.
- If you don't have ricotta cheese, you can use cottage cheese or cream cheese as a substitute.
- For a vegetarian version of this recipe, omit the ground beef and use extra vegetables in the filling.
- To make this dish ahead of time, assemble the stuffed shells and bake them for 30 minutes. Then, let them cool completely and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you're ready to serve, reheat the stuffed shells in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through.
Conclusion:
Simple stuffed shells are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time, you can create a meal that is both satisfying and affordable. Whether you're looking for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion meal, simple stuffed shells are sure to please. So next time you're looking for a delicious and easy meal, give simple stuffed shells a try. You won't be disappointed!
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