Classic stuffed shells are an easy to make Italian comfort food meal made with large pasta shells filled with a blend of cheeses and baked in a flavorful tomato sauce.

Classic Stuffed Shells

From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito

These classic stuffed shells are an Italian comfort food dinner that the whole family is short to love.

We usually make this dish for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, but they can be served all year round.

This is a recipe that I’ve been eating my whole life, and grew up on it as a kid.

My Italian grandmother used to always make these for us on special occasions, and we always looked forward to eating them so much.

As I got older, I decided I didn’t want to wait for a special moment to enjoy this delicious dinner.

So now we make it about once a month in my house. It’s great because this is a recipe that everyone in my house truly enjoys eating.

Between the flavorful marinara sauce, blend of cheeses and pasta, this is a dish truly irresistible to almost everyone.

Even my very picky two little boys love this dinner. ?

I hope you give this recipe a try. If you do, I know you’ll love it just as much as my family and I do.

Fast. Simple. Delicious.

Did you know that I have a cookbook called Fast Simple Delicious? It’s 60 no fuss no fail comfort food recipes perfect for busy weekday dinners.

Click HERE to order your copy or click the 3 lines in the top right corner and click “Book”. Thank you for the support.

Classic Stuffed Shells Variations

I like this recipe for stuffed shells made just the way it is, but here are some ways to change it up if you’d like to.

• Sauce- use traditional marinara, Alfredo, vodka or a meat sauce for this recipe. It’s all delicious.
• Spinach- the spinach can be omitted if you’d prefer.

Other Easy Baked Pastas

If you like super easy to make baked pasta recipes like this one, here are some others that I know you’ll love, too.

• White Vegetable Lasagna
• Pasta Al Forno
• Spinach & Cheese Manicotti
• Baked Ziti With Meat Sauce

Classic Stuffed Shells Ingredients

• Jumbo Pasta Shells, cooked to al dente
• Mariana Sauce
• Mozzarella Cheese, hand shredded
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Ricotta Cheese
• Egg
• Minced Garlic
• Frozen Chopped Spinach, frozen and thawed
• Minced Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder and Oregano

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°

First, in a medium sized skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat and add the chopped spinach and minced garlic. Lightly season them with salt and pepper and sauté the spinach for about 5 minutes. Set it aside to cool.

Next, in a medium sized bowl, add the ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, sautéed spinach, minced garlic and eggs.

Then, season it with salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano and mix everything together until it’s evenly combined.

Now, line a 9 x 13” baking dish with three cups of the marinara sauce.

Next, take the cooked pasta shells and using a spoon, evenly distribute the filling into the center of each pasta shell.

Then, place the stuffed shells down, side by side into the sauce lined baking sheet.

Now, drizzle the top of the shells with another cup of the sauce.

Next, cover the baking dish with tin foil and place it into the center rack of the oven for about 30 minutes.

Finally, let the shells cool slightly, garnish with shredded basil or parsley (optional) and enjoy.