Everyone loves a good stuffed shell recipe. These are loaded with cheese and perfect for weekends or romantic dinners. Give them a try! You’ll be so glad you did.
My friend Julie makes the BEST Italian dishes. At our last game night, she brought two large pans of stuffed shells and they were AMAZING. Lucky for us that she is sharing her recipe with us so that we can make it anytime we want.
When you make this dish, you can round it out with a simple Italian salad and some French bread. Your family will thank you.
How To Make Cheesy Stuffed Shells
To make this indulgent Italian recipe, you need the following ingredients:
- 1/2 box Barilla Jumbo Shells
- 1/2 jar marinara
- 1/2 jar 3 cheese sauce
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 8.8 oz mascarpone
- 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, grated
- Fresh parsley
- Italian seasoning
You start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 13×9 pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Cook the shells for 9 minutes and then drain and let cool.
Mix the ricotta, mascarpone, 1/2 of the Parmesan, 1/2 of the mozzarella, and the parsley (or you can wait and put parsley on top). [I use about 1/2 cup of fresh parsley. I put a little salt and pepper in with this mixture.]
Mix the marinara and 3 cheese sauce together.
Put half the sauce mixture on the bottom of the prepared pan. Stuff the shells with the cheese mixture so they are full but still close. Put them face up in the pan.
Spread the rest of the sauce mixture on top of the shells. Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan and mozzarella on top of the shells. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on the top and the parsley if not mixed in with the cheese.
Cover and cook for about 30 – 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Cheesy Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 1/2 box Barilla Jumbo Shells
- 1/2 jar marinara
- 1/2 jar 3 cheese sauce
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 8.8 oz mascarpone
- 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella
- Fresh parsley
- Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Cook the shells for 9 minutes and then drain and let cool.
- Grate the Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Mix the ricotta, mascarpone, 1/2 of the Parmesan, 1/2 of the mozzarella, and the parsley (or you can wait and put parsley on top). [I use about 1/2 cup of fresh parsley. I put a little salt and pepper in with this mixture.]
- Mix the marinara and 3 cheese sauce together.
- Spray the glass 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray.
- Put half the sauce mixture on the bottom of the pan. Stuff the shells with the cheese mixture so they are full but still close. Put them face up in the pan.
- Spread the rest of the sauce mixture on top of the shells.
- Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan and mozzarella on top of the shells.
- Sprinkle Italian seasoning on the top and the parsley if not mixed in with cheese.
- Cover and cook for about 30 – 40 minutes at 400 degrees.
Notes
Nutrition
Say Cheese!
Marscapone cheese ended up becoming a topic of discussion at dinner. We questioned how you pronounced the word. According to a food encyclopedia, here is the break down –> [mah-skar-POH-nay] . In reality, marscapone is a thickened cream and is often used to make tiramisu or cheesecake. (It can also be used to make a creamy spread.) Any way you choose to use it, you’ll end up with something delicious.
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Alison says
This looks so delicious. I know my husband and I will both love this, so I can’t wait to try it. However, I’m not sure what a three cheese sauce is. Should I get a three cheese alfredo? Is that about the same thing? Thank you!
Lynda says
No, they’re not the same. Take a look at this picture of Prego’s Three Cheese Sauce. I would look for a similar substitute.
Alison says
Ah, gotcha! Thanks!