Cheesy Stuffed Shells
These cheesy stuffed shells have completely won over my pasta-loving heart. Ricotta filled shells are topped with a quick marinara sauce oozing with delicious fresh flavors. So much to love here.
Ingredients
- 1 12-ounce box jumbo pasta shells
Sauce
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes see note
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¾ teaspoon herbs de provence see note
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
Filling + Topping
- 2 cups ricotta cheese see note
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil or parsley
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
- 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese divided: 1 c for the filling + 2 c for the topping
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Cook shells in lightly salted water until al dente according to package instruction. Drain and set aside.
For Sauce
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In a medium saucepan over medium heat add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, water, herbs de Provence, garlic, basil, and salt. Simmer on low uncovered about 15 minutes, while you assemble the shells.
For Filling
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Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together ricotta, egg, salt, black pepper, fresh chopped basil or parsley, Parmesan or Romano cheese, and 1 cup mozzarella cheese and set aside.
Assembling and Serving
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Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, fill the shells lightly with the ricotta mixture. Place shells in prepared baking pan. Spoon pasta sauce on top and 2 cups of grated mozzarella.
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Bake uncovered in preheat 350 degree F oven for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is starting to brown. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Tomatoes: When fresh tomatoes are in season, I like to use 16-ounces of fresh diced tomatoes in place of the canned. Frozen diced tomatoes also work in this recipe.
herbs de Provence: If you don’t have herbs de Provence, you can try a few substitute pantry spices although the flavor will be slightly different. Try a pinch of basil, oregano, thyme, sage, and rosemary. Taste and add more spices, if needed.
Store-bought substitution: For a quicker option, you can also substitute 2 ½ cups of your favorite store-bought jarred marinara sauce for the homemade sauce.
Ricotta: My favorite ricotta to use in this recipe is this easy Homemade Ricotta or this even easier Instant Pot ricotta cheese. Once you try it with homemade ricotta, you will never want to go back to store-bought ricotta again. I have used half ricotta, half cottage cheese in this recipe and that works. I have not tried it with all cottage cheese, but I think it would work.