Stuffed Shells III

See how to make a top-rated recipe for cheesy stuffed pasta shells. See more

READY IN 1½ hrs

Stuffed Shells III

Read Reviews (446)

"This recipe is a hit wherever you go. It is a very rich and cheesy meal and looks like a deep-dish pizza when done. I altered what I was originally given because I did not like cottage cheese and added other ingredients that I thought it deserved." — Renee

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a large bowl, mix eggs, ricotta, half the mozzarella, half the Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper until well combined. Stuff cooked shells with ricotta mixture and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl, stir together pasta sauce, mushrooms and reserved mozzarella and Parmesan. Pour over stuffed shells.
Bake in preheated oven 45 to 60 minutes, until edges are bubbly and shells are slightly set.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 30 mins
COOK 1 hr
READY IN 1 hr 30 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jun 03, 2006

This is the third time i've made this and I love it. I discovered if I make the filling first and put it in the fridge for a while while preping my other items, it becomes firmer and SO much easier and neater to stuff the shells.

—LIZA PIAZZA

See full review »

Most Helpful Critical Review

Feb 15, 2007

I will give these three stars because the recipe is a good place to start. Prepared as stated in the recipe, this is enough for two trays of shells. This recipe needed more than a little tweaking though. I made the following changes. 1 tsp. of salt instead of two. 4 oz. of parmesan total (two in the filling and two in the sauce). I substituted Italian Seasoning for the parsley. I added about a half tsp. of garlic powder to the filling too. I skipped the mushrooms and added Italian sausage to the sauce instead. You will need two jars of sauce PER TRAY of shells or they will be dry. Prepared with the changes specified, my fiancé said he could “eat himself into the hospital he’d eat so many of these shells if he could.” Sounds like a good review to me!

—Brigid

See full review »

614 Ratings

See other versions of this recipe!

May 05, 2005

Restaurant quality! Believe it or not, I was able to reduce the fat, and it still came out delicious. I bought lowfat ricotta cheese, used only 3/4 cup mozzarella + 1/2 cup parmesan in the filling (added 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, and would do that again), and left off the cheese in the sauce, just sprinkling a bit of parmesan after baking so it looked pretty. It made two 13x9x2 pans, and I wish I had used 2 jars of sauce instead of 1. The sauce dried out after baking, so next time, I will cover with aluminum foil first, and remove it the last 10 minutes or so. Thanks so much for the recipe - will definitely be making it again!

—KRANEY

See full review »

Oct 23, 2004

My family loves this recipe! My 3 year old eats shell after shell!! We're not a mushroom family, so I leave those out. I scoop the filling into a big ziploc bag, close the top up, make a small cut in one of the bottom corners and squeeze into the shells - no mess! I also divide this recipe into two 9x13 pans. We eat one and the other goes into the freezer for later. Freezes really well!

—ASHEMRYTYKA

See full review »

Sep 23, 2006

This recipe was more like your real italian stuffed shells that you buy in the italian deli than any of the others, (and my family has been in the business for years)so thumbs up for that! There was a few things I changed and they were perfect! I did not add eggs and I only put 1/2 tsp salt. I added alittle more ricotta to taste to get it not as much so cheesy as I wanted it more creamy. That is the secret to any stuffed shell recipe! I used a regular homemade italian tomato sauce. I did not use mushrooms! And I didnt alter this dish to look like a deep dish piiza as it states. It is a time consuming recipe , but if you like it homemade it is worth the effort!

—Desiree

See full review »

Jul 23, 2003

Hubby isn't fond of "meatless" dinners, so I browned about 1/2 lb of ground beef and added it to the pasta sauce before pouring it over the shells. I also left out the mushrooms and only used about 1/2 tsp of salt. We really enjoyed this very filling dinner!

—NJSS2000

See full review »

Mar 24, 2007

CUT THE SALT IN HALF!!! The recipe is amazing, but it's way too salty. Silly me, I forgot to read the reviews before making mine and it was way too salty. It is however an excellent recipe. I used Classico italian sausage spaghetti sauce and added mushrooms. It was amazing. I'd also definitely double the sauce. I halved my recipe and I almost needed more than one jar. I can't imagine one jar being enough for the whole recipe. Flavor is EXCELLENT!!!

—Guhlia

See full review »

Sep 05, 2005

the filling for these shells is absolutely fabulous. i didn't change much, except i used fresh parsley and added some fresh basil. i will definitely be using this filling the next time i make my vegetarian lasagna. thanks much for the recipe!

—DRUMNWRITE

See full review »

Edit

Glad you liked it! Your friends will, too:

Did you tweak the recipe? Edit and save your own version of it!

Edit this recipe

More Recipes Like This See all

Chicken and Cheese Stuffed Jumbo Shells

Giant Stuffed Pasta Shells

Meat-Free Stuffed Shells

Stuffed Pasta Shells Surprise

Stuffed Shells IV

Stuffed Shells I

Cheese and Nut Stuffed Shells

Cara's Creamy Stuffed Shells

Stuffed Shells II

Thanksgiving Leftover Stuffed Shells

Nutrition

Calories
550 kcal
27%

Carbohydrates
43.7 g
14%

Cholesterol
121 mg
40%

Fat
24.5 g
38%

Fiber
3.4 g
14%

Protein
37.7 g
75%

Sodium
1544 mg
62%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Stuffed Shells III

Serving Size: 1/10 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 10
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 550
Calories from Fat: 221

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 24.5g 38 %
Saturated Fat 13.9g 69 %
Cholesterol 121mg 40 %
Sodium 1544mg 62 %
Potassium 594mg 17 %
Total Carbohydrates 43.7g 14 %
Dietary Fiber 3.4g 14 %
Protein 37.7g 75 %
Sugars 9.3g
Vitamin A 22 %
Vitamin C 4 %
Calcium 110 %
Iron 29 %
** Thiamin 11 %
Niacin 105 %
Vitamin B6 18 %
Magnesium 25 %
Folate 65 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.