I remember my mom making this Stuffed Shells Recipe many times over the years as I was growing up. Sometimes she included some ground beef in the filling and sometimes we would have it exactly as shared below. Either way, it was always a crowd pleaser. I love the idea of passing on these traditional recipes to my kids and hope that one day they will make it for their families as well. For another fun variation on classic stuffed shells, try these Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells and the rest of our family friendly recipes.

Stuffed Shells Recipe
This is a simple recipe to make. Honestly, the most labor intensive part of the recipe is boiling the shells. Then you just mix a few ingredients for the filling.

Then you stuff the shells and place them in a 9x13 casserole dish.

Since I was in a hurry, I used a jarred marinara sauce for the Stuffed Shells Recipe. If you have a favorite sauce recipe, feel free to use that. If you are looking for a delicious sauce recipe, try this Homemade Marinara Sauce.

Mozzarella cheese makes everything better!

Don't these look amazing when they come out of the oven?

You can sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top if you wish, but this Stuffed Shells Recipe doesn't really need anything else. They are that good!

If you have any leftovers, they are great to take to work the next day. Just heat up in the microwave and enjoy!
This Stuffed Shells Recipe may seem like a special occasion meal, but they are so quick and easy to prepare that you can add them into your normal meal rotation. Your family will thank you!


Stuffed Shells Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz jumbo shells approximately 20 jumbo shells
- Cooking spray
- 1 ¾ cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Boil water and cook shells according to directions on package. Drain the shells, spray them with cooking spray (to prevent sticking) and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, egg, Italian seasoning and 1 cup of mozzarella until combined well.
- Fill each shell with a tablespoon of the ricotta mixture.
- Spray a 9×13 casserole dish. Fill the casserole dish with the stuffed shells. You can fit four rows of five shells.
- Pour 1 cup of marinara sauce over the stuffed shells.
- Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of shredded mozzarella over the sauce.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
- Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes.
Video
Nutrition
If you liked this stuffed shells recipe, check out:
Mercedes
Will be trying this for dinner tomorrow!
Vicky
I think cooked ground beef would be fabulous Kathy!
Kathy
Could I throw i ground beef to make a play on manicotti?
Vicky
I have never tried that Lanne so I am not sure how it would work. If you try it please come back and report as others might be interested in that option. Have a great weekend!
Lanne
Would this be good with cottage cheese in place of the ricotta?
Vicky
So glad to hear that. It is a favorite here. Thanks for letting me know.
R.Haugh
Just had this for supper ; very good, smooth and cheesy. Our whole family liked it very much.