Giant Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells
Filled with a creamy ricotta mixture and nestled in a garlic Alfredo sauce, these Giant Cheese Stuffed Shells are comfort food 101. Serve with a salad or just a wedge of garlic bread and dig in!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 577kcal
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 10x10-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
Serving: 3shells and sauce | Calories: 577kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 604mg | Potassium: 360mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1679IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 649mg | Iron: 1mg