Stuffed Shells Recipe: 2 Delicious and Quick Recipes for Vegetarians and Meat Lovers!

Oh, it’s only Tuesday, and I already feel overloaded with chores around the house that need to be done! And I never have the time! I am either running off to work, or running errands after I head off. And I can’t remember the last time I cooked something delicious for myself, and I love to cook! It’s just that often after work I lack the strength and will power to prepare something. Maybe I can try to make something tasty and satisfying, that won’t require too much effort. Hmm, I am feeling pasta, what do you think? Why not try out this easy stuffed shells recipe I happened to fall upon on the net. You can make it vegetarian or with meat. Yummy!

Easy vegetarian stuffed shells recipe

Stuffed shells are probably one of the best pasta creations that the world has given us! I have been thinking about making them for days now. One of my friends decided to brag about them online with pictures of her homemade pasta shells, and I was just filled with, jealousy! I had to have those creamy and cheesy angels for myself! And now I will also make sure that you get the best taste for your own stuffed shells. Amazing taste, and a great choice if you are looking for something quick and delicious to make for dinner for you and your family. So let’s gather the needed ingredients for this tasty stuffed shells recipe and get to cooking!

What you will need for the vegetarian recipe:

• 12 ounces/450 g of uncooked jumbo pasta shells
• 6 ounces /230 g of grated cheese
• 30 ounces/1.130 kg of ricotta cheese
• 8 ounces /300 g of grated mozzarella cheese
• 28 ounces /1.006 kg of marinara sauce
• 1 whole egg
• 1 tablespoon of Himalayan salt
• ½ teaspoon of regular salt
• ½ teaspoon of fresh ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon of fresh minced parsley
• ¾ cup/ 96 g of chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 -2 minced garlic cloves

It’s cooking time!

First thing you will need to do is preheat your oven to 350 °F /180 °C. After that, take the tray you are going to use for cooking the stuffed pasta shells and lay a piece of baking paper in it. If you don’t have baking paper, you can use cooking spray or just skip this step.

Take half of the marinara sauce and spread it on the bottom of your tray/dish. Leave it be for now. Take a large bowl, fill it with water and add salt. Put it to boil. Add the uncooked pasta shells and read their instructions to see how long you should cook them. It usually takes about 3 minutes. When they are cooked, drain the bowl and rinse the shells with cold water. Let them to cool a bit.

In another big bowl, mix the salt, pepper, parsley, basil, garlic, the egg, ricotta, and Parmesan cheese. Use this mix to stuff the shells with a spoon. The stuffing itself might take some time. If you have a pastry bag, you can use it for easier and less messy stuffing. Or just try with a regular plastic bag.

When you are done with the stuffing, place the stuffed pasta shells in the baking tray and press them in the marinara sauce. Use the other half of the sauce to cover the shells, and lay out the mozzarella cheese on top. Beautiful! Put in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until you notice that they are big and bubbly. Serve and enjoy!

Stuffed shell recipe with meat

If you are looking for stuffed shell recipes with meat, I can help you out with that as well! I myself prefer dishes with meat, as I feel they satisfy my hunger best. It will be almost the same one as the vegetarian pasta recipe, just with a little twist because of the added meat.

When it comes to the boiling part in the above-mentioned recipe, it is all the same. But for the filling, you will need 1 pound/ 450 g of minced beef. Cook the meet in a large frying-pan over medium heat until its colour is no longer pink. Drain it.

When you are making the filling, use half of the cooked beef. The other half you will combine with the leftover marinara sauce and pour it over the stuffed shells. Cover the shells with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. After that, remove the cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese melts. Voilà! You have your meat stuffed shells!

What goes with stuffed shells?

• garlic bread
• breadsticks
• broccoli salad
• cobb salad
• arugula salad
• green beans
• steamed broccoli
• roasted carrots
• steamed rice
• baked potatoes
• macaroni and cheese
• ravioli

What a great meal it turned out to be! And so easy and quick to make! Pasta is just always the answer to everything, isn’t it? This stuffed shell recipe really opened my appetite for pasta food. Maybe I can try a new recipe for dinner or lunch tomorrow. Something like a delicious pasta casserole, perhaps? What do you think?