Name: 4 Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 8 people
Ingredients: 1 package Jumbo 12 oz. Jumbo Pasta Shells; 2 Cups Ricotta Cheese; 2 Cups Cottage Cheese; 1/2 Cup Parmesan, grated; 2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded; 2 large Eggs; 1 Tablespoon Parsely, dried; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1/4 tsp Black Pepper; 1/8 tsp Nutmeg; 3 Cups Marinara Sauce (homemade or jarred is great)

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These 4-Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells are incredibly delicious and a favorite vegetarian meal for Meatless Monday. They’re made with ricotta, cottage, parmesan, and mozzarella cheese. They are the perfect dinner to take to a friend or put in the freezer for another day.

I love doubling and tripling this recipe. It’s an easy stuffed shells recipe and is perfect for taking to a friend after she has a new baby or a surgery. It’s also perfect to throw in the freezer for another day. It’s one of a few meals that taste just as good after being frozen.

If you have some extra tomatoes from the garden or want to make this meal extra special, try this homemade marinara sauce. It is amazing and really kicks this dish up a notch.

Or if you’re looking for a delicious side for this recipe, check out the Garlic pull Apart Bread . It’s made with this incredible Garlic Butter.

How to Make Stuffed Shells

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Be sure the pasta is not overcooked. You want it to be al dente– cooked firm to the bite. It will finish cooking when the pasta bakes. (My pasta shells suggested cooking them for 10 minutes in boiling water. I cooked them for 8 minutes and that was about right for this recipe.
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, half of the parmesan, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Stir until combined. Stir in the eggs, parsley, salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.
In a 9 by 13″: baking dish spread 1/2 Cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom. (This will prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan)
Use a piping bag, (picture in the post) to fill the jumbo pasta shells. ( if you don’t have the frosting bags, you can also use a small spring-loaded cookie scoop to fill the shells.
Place the jumbo shells in the baking dish. Cover with remaining marinara sauce-about 2 1/2 cups, of the remaining parmesan, and mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 min. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes and bake until the cheese is golden.
Let the pasta bake rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
How to make stuffed shells the best Freezer Meal!
If you love freezer meals as much as I do, you’re gonna love this recipe. These stuffed shells freezer meal is the perfect meal to make ahead and have on hand for busy nights or lazy weekends. I like to use a disposable 9 by 9 aluminum pan when I’m planning to freeze this recipe.
One thing that makes this a little more successful is to also add an additional 1/2 cup of marinara sauce to the top of the stuffed shells to keep them really saucy when they’re baked. They tend to get a little dry if you don’t add a little extra marinara.
It works best to freeze this before you bake it. After you’ve added the cheese and marinara sauce, cover the pan with plastic wrap. Be sure to wrap it tightly so all of the pasta is covered. Then you can cover the dish with aluminum foil. I like to write the date and “stuffed shells” on the foil so it’s easily identified in the freezer. This recipe can be frozen for up to 3 months in a regular kitchen freezer and up to 6 months in a deep freezer.

4 Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells

These 4-Cheese stuffed Pasta Shells are incredibly delicious and a favorite vegetarian meal for Meatless Monday. They're made with ricotta, cottage, parmesan and mozzarella cheese .They are the perfect dinner to take to a friend or put in the freezer for another day.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

cooling time 5 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings people

Calories 520kcal

Ingredients

1 package Jumbo 12 oz. Jumbo Pasta Shells
2 Cups Ricotta Cheese
2 Cups Cottage Cheese
1/2 Cup Parmesan, grated
2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
2 large Eggs
1 Tablespoon Parsely, dried
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
3 Cups Marinara Sauce (homemade or jarred is great)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. (Be sure the pasta is not overcooked. You want it to be barely underdone. It will cook the rest of the way in the pasta sauce)
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, half of the parmesan, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Stir until combined. Stir in the eggs, parsely, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
In a 9 by 13": baking dish, spread 1/2 Cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom.
Use a pipping bag, (picture in the post) to fill the jumbo pasta shells.
Place the jumbo shells in the baking dish. Cover with remaining marinara sauce and the remaining parmesan and mozzerella cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min-1 hour. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes and bake until the cheese is golden.
Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enojoy!

Video

Notes

What’s the best way to freeze stuffed shells?

Stuff each shell with filling and arrange stuffed shells in baking dish. Spoon any remaining sauce over the shells where needed. If freezing: Cover tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Clearly label and keep in freezer for up to 3 months in a regular freezer and up to 6 months in a deep freezer.

Should I defrost frozen stuffed shells before baking?

No need to defrost the stuffed shells before baking. Simply remove any plastic wrap on the stuffed shells and then replace the alluminum foil. Bake in a 350 degreee oven for 45-60 minutes until the pasta bake is bubbling and the cheese is melted on top. Remove the alluminum foil and continue to bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese on top is golden brown. Garnish with fresh parseley if desired.

Can you freeze stuffed shells after baking?

Yes but it's best to freeze before baking and then follow the tips to bake the stuffed shells when froze. If you have baked stuffed shells and they have been frozen, thaw the shells and then re-heat in the oven , covered with foil, for 20 minutes or until all the cheese is bubbly again. Add additional mozzarella cheese if desired. Bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes or till cheese is golden.

Should I defrost frozen stuffed shells before baking?

No need to thaw the stuffed shells before baking.