If you’re a fan of cheese and pasta then this dish is perfect for you! Giant Cheese Stuffed Shells are so cheesy, and they’re baked in a garlic Alfredo sauce which is so good you’ll want to lick your plate clean. Stuffed with a combination of cheeses, these are easy to make and so crazy good!
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Pasta and cheese, what’s not to love? But in this amped-up version that’s similar to the Olive Garden’s cheese stuffed shells, only miles better! This one is made with a rich and creamy garlic Alfredo sauce that gets hot and bubbly and is so delicious.
This is total comfort food. They’re not hard to make, and don’t require any fussy ingredients. Plus, these Giant Cheese Stuffed Shells can be switched up and made with your favorite cheeses. Be sure to see all my suggestions below!
What you’ll love about Giant cheese STuffed Shells
- They’re rich and loaded with ooey-gooey cheese!
- It’s not a hard pasta dish to make, and you can make it ahead of time!
- You can easily double this recipe to feed a crowd.
Ingredients
- Jumbo pasta shells – See my notes below about cooking these. Find them in the pasta aisle; they may also be called conchiglie.
- Butter – I cook with salted butter.
- Fresh garlic
- All-purpose flour
- Milk
- Heavy whipping cream – Or you can use all milk.
- Parmesan cheese – Shredded or grated.
- Ricotta cheese – Any kind.
- Italian blend shredded cheese
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Green onions – Sliced.
- Salt and white pepper – To taste; you can use black pepper but you’ll see black flecks in your sauce.
How To Make The Best Giant Cheese Stuffed Shells
- Preheat your oven to 375-F.
- Cook the jumbo pasta shells in salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the recommended cooking time. You want them to be very al dente for stuffing. Drain and run the cooked shells under cold tap water to cool them down. Set them aside.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the garlic. Cook the garlic for 2 minutes, then whisk in the flour and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the milk and cream and mix well, turn down the heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Stir while simmering until the sauce thickens; about 5 minutes. Add the Parmesan cheese and adjust the salt and pepper.
- Combine the ricotta cheese, 1/2 the Italian blend shredded cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, and green onions in a bowl. Mix well. Add a pinch of pepper if you like.
- Transfer about half the sauce to the bottom of a 10×10-inch casserole dish.
- Stuff the pasta shells filling each with about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture, and lay them into the casserole dish on top of the sauce. Repeat until they’re all filled.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the stuffed shells, then sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
- Bake at 375-F for about 20 minutes or until the shells are hot and bubbly. Turn on the broiler for the last 2 minutes of cooking time to brown the top.
- Serve and enjoy!
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Don’t overcook the pasta shells. You want them to be quite al dente because they’ll finish cooking in the oven. Plus, softer shells are harder to stuff.
- Switch up the cheeses! Fontina, mozzarella, provolone, cheddar, gouda and more can all be used instead of the Italian blend.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and a bit of chopped parsley before serving for a bit of color and spice.
Recommended
Make It A Meal
Wondering what to serve with your Giant Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells? This dish is so rich and creamy that you don’t want anything too heavy with it. A great Caesar salad would pair nicely with this dish and give you some leafy greens, too. Or, serve this dish on its own but start with a shareable appetizer like a Tomato Bruschetta Board or a light bowl of soup.
Storage
Store any leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Heat your leftovers in the microwave or a low oven until heated through.
Step By Step Process
Giant Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells
Ingredients
- 18 each pasta shells
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese shredded or grated
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
- 2 cups Italian blend shredded cheese divided
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions white and green parts
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- salt and white pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375-F.
- Cook the jumbo pasta shells in salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the recommended cooking time. You want them to be very al dente for stuffing. Drain and run the cooked shells under cold tap water to cool them down. Set them aside.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the garlic. Cook the garlic for 2 minutes, then whisk in the flour and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the milk and cream and mix well, turn down the heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Stir while simmering until the sauce thickens; about 5 minutes. Add the Parmesan cheese and adjust the salt and pepper.
- Combine the ricotta cheese, 1/2 the Italian blend shredded cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, and green onions in a bowl. Mix well. Add a pinch of pepper if you like.
- Transfer about half the sauce to the bottom of a 10×10-inch casserole dish.
- Stuff the pasta shells filling each with about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture and lay them into the casserole dish on top of the sauce. Repeat until they're all filled.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the stuffed shells, then sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
- Bake at 375-F for about 20 minutes or until the shells are hot and bubbly. Turn on the broiler for the last 2 minutes of cooking time to brown the top.
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Don’t overcook the pasta shells. You want them to be quite al dente because they’ll finish cooking in the oven. Plus, softer shells are harder to stuff.
- Switch up the cheeses! Fontina, mozzarella, provolone, cheddar, gouda and more can all be used instead of the Italian blend.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and a bit of chopped parsley before serving for a bit of color and spice.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
