Classic Easy Baked Stuffed Pasta Shells Recipe
These are the best stuffed pasta shells! These cheesy, saucy stuffed shells are the ultimate comfort food for busy weeknights or cozy weekends at home. Jumbo pasta shells are filled with a creamy mixture of cottage cheese, mozzarella, and fresh mint (or basil), then baked in rich marinara until golden and bubbly. Pair it with garlic bread and a side salad for a dinner the whole family will love!
I’m a sucker for pasta dishes. As it turns out, so is the rest of my family. Give me a plate of Chicken Alfredo or Mac and Cheese, and I’m a happy gal!
But I love marinara sauce-based dishes too! A plate of spaghetti or lasagna is also amazing comfort food!
If you’re craving a cozy, comforting dinner that feels a little special but is still easy to make, you’ll love these baked stuffed shells! Packed with creamy cheesy goodness and baked in bubbly sauce, this is the kind of feel-good recipe you’ll want to make again and again.
It’s perfect for busy weeknights, casual family dinners, or even when you want something cozy and satisfying that still feels a little special.
Whether you’re feeding a crowd or just looking for a reliable dinner everyone will love, make this easy recipe your go-to.
Ingredients Needed:
- Jumbo Pasta Shells – I used Barilla Jumbo Shells
- Cottage Cheese
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- Fresh Mint or fresh basil, chopped – dried mint or basil works too!
- Egg
- Pasta Sauce – either homemade marinara sauce or store-bought in a jar
Kitchen Tools Needed
NOTE: For complete recipe details, please check out the handy printable recipe card at the bottom of the post!
How To Make Stuffed Shells
This pasta recipe comes together easily – just follow these simple step-by-step instructions!
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Cook pasta shells – cook in a large pot of salted water (over medium heat) to al dente, according to package directions, then set aside for a moment.
- Mix cheese filling – While pasta shells are cooking, combine cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, mint, and egg in a large bowl.
- Fill baking pan – Put a thin, even layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking pan or casserole dish. Fill each shell with cheese mixture and place in pan on top of the tomato sauce. Top stuffed shells with a little sauce to cover all parts of the pasta.
- Bake stuffed shells – Cover pan with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly.
Stuffed Pasta Shells Expert Notes and Tips
- Be sure to cover all parts of the pasta with sauce before cooking, or the parts of the pasta not covered can get dried out and become hard and crispy. You can use a little more sauce to cover all the pasta, if needed.
- If you can’t find jumbo shells, you can use manicotti shells
Variations To Try
Add Meat! If using store-bought sauce in a jar, you can brown some ground Italian sausage or ground beef and add it to the sauce to make a meat sauce if you prefer that.
Swap Out Cheese – Instead of mixing cottage cheese and mozzarella cheeses, you could swap out the cottage cheese for a 15oz container of ricotta cheese to make an irresistible creamy ricotta feeling.
How To Serve Baked Stuffed Pasta Shells
Serve this shells recipe with parmesan cheese on top of the shells! These stuffed shells pair well with garlic bread and/or salad for a nutritious, delicious, and hearty meal!
Salad – some great options include Caesar salad, Grilled Chicken Salad, or Copycat Panera Fuji Apple Salad.
Bread – garlic bread is my favorite option, but Yeast Dinner Rolls or crusty bread would be great to soak up some of that sauce too!
Dessert – Want to satisfy your sweet tooth? Try this Indulgent Healthy Apple Crisp or my favorite Easy Cinnamon Coffee Cake Bundt Cake!
Storage Instructions
Store leftover shells in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat, microwave until hot.
Freezing instructions
You can freeze these baked stuffed shells! Put them into an airtight, freezer-safe container (or wrap your baking dish or aluminum baking dish with a layer of plastic wrap topped with a layer of aluminum foil) and freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw, place the container on the counter for about 3 hours and then bake. You will need to add a few extra minutes of baking time to let your dish heat up!
More Delicious Dinner Ideas To Try
- Easy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
- Chicken Pot Pie Casserole With Biscuits
- Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
- Chicken Broccoli Lasagna (Easy Alfredo!)
- Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas
Pin For Later!
Baked Stuffed Pasta Shell
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Cook pasta shells – according to package directions then set aside for a moment.
- Mix cheese filling – While pasta shells are cooking, combine cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, mint, and egg in a large bowl.
- Fill baking pan – Put a thin, even layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking pan. Fill each shell with cheese mixture and place in pan on top of sauce. Top stuffed shells with more sauce covering all parts of the pasta.
- Bake stuffed shells – Cover pan with foil and bake in oven for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly.
