Tuscan Stuffed Shells

A casserole of stuffed pasta with cream sauce.

Tuscan stuffed shells is a classic casserole dinner that's perfect for feeding a crowd. Pasta shells are stuffed with a three-cheese filling and topped with a creamy parmesan sauce filled with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Author Heather

Ingredients

Shells and filling

26-28 jumbo shells
15 ounces ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Sauce

2 tablespoons oil from the sun-dried tomatoes jar
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
12 ounces chicken broth
8 ounces heavy cream
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes in oil julienne cut, drained
2 ounces fresh baby spinach
1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Shells and filling

Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.
In a pot of salted boiling water, cook jumbo shells to 1 minute shy of al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until shells are easy to handle. Set aside.
Meanwhile, to a bowl add ricotta, 1 ½ cups of the mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined and set aside.

Sauce

In a sauté pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add flour and stir to create a paste. Cook for one minute.
Whisk in broth and heavy cream, then add Italian seasoning and sun-dried tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until sauce has thickened slightly.
Add parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Last, add spinach and stir until wilted, about a minute. Remove from heat.
Pour half of the sauce into prepared 9x13 pan and spread into an even layer. Set aside.
Gently fill each shell with ricotta mixture and place in rows in the baking dish. Spoon the cheese in or transfer to a plastic zip top bag and snip off the corner for mess-free piping.
Pour remaining sauce over shells and top with reserved mozzarella cheese.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted across the top and casserole is bubbling around the edges.

Video

Notes

Leftovers: Leftover stuffed shells will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Freezing: Freeze casserole whole or portion cooked leftovers into individual serving containers. To thaw, transfer to the freezer to thaw overnight. Leftovers reheat well in the microwave. Whole casserole can be reheated in the oven at 350F for about 15-20 minutes.

Nutrition