Three-Cheese Stuffed Shells

With a quick homemade tomato sauce underneath and packed with a ricotta cheese mixture, this is the best recipe for stuffed shells. It’s an easy enough meal that it’s perfect for any weeknight while it looks like it should be reserved for a special occasion. So if you have a family or a group of friends that love pasta, this is the recipe to make!

Why this recipe works.

Stuffed shells could turn you away just from the name. The idea of cooking a noodle and stuffing it with filling begs the question, is it worth it? This recipe gives the answer, yes! Cooking jumbo shell noodles is simple and quick. While they are cooking, the sauce and filling can be made. The tomato sauce simmers on the stove with canned tomatoes, onion, and seasonings. Ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan are mixed together with seasonings for a quick filling. Once the shells cool, the filling is easily spooned into the shells. The sauce is used as a bed for the shells, and once assembled, the dish is baked in the oven until bubbling. This is a comfort meal that is far easier to make than it sounds and more delicious than you think.

Everything you’ll need to make this recipe.

• Crushed tomatoes are canned tomatoes that should always be in the pantry. The texture has some tomato pieces but is full of a rich pureé that creates a perfect sauce.
• Ricotta cheese has a beautiful, creamy, rich, and almost sweet flavor. While it may seem grainy at first, once mixed together with the other cheeses in this filling, it takes on a whole new texture. For the most flavor, make sure to buy whole-fat ricotta cheese.
• Lemon zest is a touch of brightness in this cheese sauce that will really shine through. 
• Mozzarella cheese is a classic melting cheese for Italian dishes. The cheese adds a creamy texture once baked with subtle flavor.
• Parmesan cheese gives the nutty flavor that is the finishing touch. A little goes a long way in rounding out the cheese mixture.

Here’s how to make this recipe.

1. Cook the sauce. To a medium-sized skillet set over medium heat on the stovetop, add 2 tbsp of butter. Once it’s melted, add the minced onion and salt. Let this sauté until the onion has begun to brown and is translucent. After 4 to 6 minutes, add in the minced garlic along with the black pepper, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano. Stir the garlic and spices into the onions and add in the sprig of basil and crushed tomatoes. Stir everything together and let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes. 

2. Prepare the pasta. To a large stockpot filled with boiling water, add some salt as well as the pasta. Cook the shells according to the package instructions until al dente. Once cooked, remove the pasta, drain, and rinse with cool water. Set the shells aside to cool slightly so they can be handled.

3. Prepare the cheese filling. In a large bowl, add the egg and use a whisk to beat it. Then add in the ricotta cheese, salt, black pepper, lemon zest, chopped fresh basil, chopped fresh parsley, 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese, and shredded Parmesan cheese. Mix everything together until the entire mixture is homogenous and well-combined.

4. Stuff the shells. Remove the simmering sauce from the stove and remove the sprig of basil and discard. To the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish, add all of the tomato sauce, spreading it out to an even layer. Use a spoon to fill one shell at a time with a spoonful of the ricotta mixture. Then lay the shell open-side facing up in the tomato sauce in the baking dish. Continue this process until all of the shells are filled. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.

5. Bake the shells. Once all of the shells are in the dish, place the baking dish in the preheated 350°F oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Once fully baked, remove it from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

These pro tips will make this recipe a success.

• When making a homemade tomato sauce, use butter to brown the onion rather than oil. There’s a specific reason for this: the butter calms the acidity of the tomatoes and makes for a better-tasting sauce. 
• It’s always important to wait to add the salt to the pasta water until it is boiling. There is no other opportunity to season the pasta, so salting the water will impart additional flavor to the pasta. And if worried about the sodium content, only a small amount of salt will actually make its way into the shells, but the flavor will be heightened.
• When zesting any citrus, hold the fruit in your palm. Take the Microplane and run it all over the citrus, keeping it steady. Let the Microplane do all of the moving. Since the Microplane will be face up, all of the zest will collect and can then be dumped right into the bowl along with all of the other ingredients.

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• Meat sauce with spaghetti
• Baked macaroni and cheese
• Tomato tortellini soup
• The best homemade goulash
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• Sungold tomato pasta bake
• Spicy peanut noodles