Easy Stuffed Shells

Stuffed shells are a classic pasta dish that everyone loves! They are easy to make, full of three different kinds of cheese, and are the perfect family dinner!

If you want some delicious fresh bread to serve with these you can whip up my one-hour baguette!

Do you have any dishes that you really love but you don’t make nearly enough?

For me stuffed shells is one of those. I love them, and so does the rest of my family but in my mind they are a hassle to make so I don’t think to make them on a typical weeknight.

But that is silly, the truth is that these stuffed shells really aren’t hard to make, they come together in about 15 minutes and then all that’s left to do is pop them in the oven and wait!

The other great thing about them is that they freeze beautifully. They are one of those things that are great to make ahead and have for a delicious dinner on a busy evening.

You’ll notice that I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta in this recipe, in our family we prefer the creamy texture that cottage gives things like lasagna and these stuffed shells. If you prefer ricotta you can just swap it out!

How do you freeze these stuffed shells?

These are one of the most freezer friendly meals I have ever tried. They keep really well! You just have to change a few things!

You won’t be freezing the sauce so you don’t need it or the shredded mozzarella until you’re ready to bake.

You’ll want to boil the noodles and fill them according to the recipe, then spray a baking sheet with non stick cooking spray and line them up on it. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and allow the shells to freeze through. Then take them out and put them in a freezer bag and seal it up.

They freeze nicely individually and by doing it this way you can cook just a few at a time if you’d like!

When you are ready to cook them you can pour about half a jar of pasta sauce in the bottom of a 13×9 inch pan (or smaller if you’re only cooking a few) then line your shells up in the pan. Pour the remainder of your sauce over the top,. Cover your baking pan with foil and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, remove the foil and sprinkle mozzarella cheese across the top, bake an additional 25 minutes or until the cheese is nice and melted and the sauce is bubbly.

Here’s how to make these stuffed shells-

12 oz. Jumbo Pasta Shells

4 cups of Container Cottage Cheese (a 30 oz container)

1 Cup Parmesan Cheese ( I prefer the fresh grated kind not the powder)

1- Egg

2- Cloves Minced Garlic

1- tsp. Italian Seasoning

1/2 – tsp Salt

1/4- tsp Pepper

8 oz. Chunk of Mozzarella (shredded) or 2 cups shredded mozzarella

2 Jars of Your Favorite Pasta Sauce

Preheat your oven to 350. Pour about 1/2 to 3/4 of a jar of pasta sauce in the bottom of a 13×9 inch pan, enough to cover the bottom with about 1/4 in of sauce.

Place a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil.

While you’re waiting for your water to boil we’ll mix up the filling!

In a large bowl combine your cottage cheese, Parmesan, egg, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper mix thoroughly.

Once your water is boiling, place your shells in and boil for 3-4 they will be very al dente, that’s ok!

Drain your shells.

Now it’s time to fill your shells. You can use a spoon and scoop the filling into the shells or fill a ziplock baggie with the filling and snip off the corner and use it to pipe the filling into the shells.

As you fill them line them up in your prepared pan.

Now top your shells with the remainder of the first jar of sauce and about half of the next. You want enough for each shell to be covered. It is a personal preference how much sauce you like, use as much as you’d like!

Now spread your shredded mozzarella across the top of the sauce.

Now pop them in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is all melted, and the sauce is bubbly.

Sprinkle with fresh basil or parsley as a garnish if desired.

Serve them up with some delicious crusty bread, a nice side salad, or just by themselves!

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