Three Cheese Stuffed Shells Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my stuffed shells watery? ›

Avoid anything with a gum listed—these gums bind water but release it as you heat the ricotta up. Straight out of its container, even good-quality ricotta can be too wet, which will result in a watery filling later.

Divided evenly, the filling should be enough for 18-20 shells. Next, bake. Spread 2 cups of marinara sauce at the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Nestle in the shells, cover the dish with foil, and bake for 20 minutes at 425°F.

Stuffed shells make a delicious, hearty main dish. So, you may want to serve them with a lighter side, like Caesar salad or roasted vegetables. We also like to pair these stuffed shells with buttered Italian bread or garlic knots.

For authentic "al dente" pasta, boil uncovered, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes. For more tender pasta, boil an additional 1 minute. Remove from heat. Drain well.

For extra creamy ricotta, add in an extra egg, a handful of grated parmesan, and a quarter cup of shredded mozzarella. Eggs help prevent the ricotta from drying out and serve to bind the ricotta so it doesn't become runny. One or more eggs are recommended whether you add the other ingredients mentioned here or not.

The stuffing should be moist but not wet. If there is a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much. Add more bread to soak up the excess moisture. If the mix is still dry and crumbly, add more liquid and toss gently until it starts to clump together.

Cover the bottom of a baking pan with spaghetti sauce Place frozen stuffed shells on the sauce, then cover generously with the remainder of the sauce. Sprinkle generously with grated romano cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Bastianich recommends cooking the shells very al dente, until softened but still quite firm, about 7 minutes. If you cook the shells too long, they'll tear when you try to stuff them, and the pasta will end up mushy, since it continues to cook as the stuffed shells bake.

Tightly cover the uncooked stuffed shells with foil, and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. To cook: Place in the oven and cook according to the directions in the recipe below (you may need to add an additional 5 minutes to the bake time).

Avoiding The Shells Sticking Together

Once your shells have reached this point, drain the hot water from the pot and replace it with cold water. This stops the shells from cooking any further than you want them to and also ensures that they won't stick together upon serving.

What are stuffed shells called? ›

The pasta called conchiglioni, usually marketed as “jumbo shells” here in the US, are filled with a ricotta cream enriched with mozzarella, napped with a simple marinara sauce and topped with a generous sprinkling of Parmesan before being baked in a hot oven.

Conchiglie, commonly known as “shell” or “seashell” pasta, is a popular pasta shape that resembles a small shell or conch. The name “conchiglie” is derived from the Italian word for “shells.” This pasta shape is loved for its unique appearance and its ability to hold sauces and ingredients inside its concave shape.

The shells should be 1 minute shy of al dente– meaning they should still be a little firm/ have a “bite” because they will continue to cook in the oven. Also, if the shells are cooked al dente or over cooked, they will be flimsy and hard to stuff and can easily break when stuffing.

Allow 4 qts. of water for every 1 lb. of pasta. Pasta shells expand a fair amount -- 1 cup of dry pasta is equal to 2 cups when cooked -- so leave room in the pot to keep them from sticking together or boiling over.

If you've never experimented with boiling your pasta in a liquid other than water, you may be missing out. For instance, not only is it possible to cook your noodles directly in your sauce, but doing so can pay off with fewer dishes and less wait time.

There are several ways to thicken ricotta filling. One is to place the filling in a fine strainer over a bowl and allow excess liquid to drain off. Another way is to line the strainer with cheesecloth. Yet another way is to add a thickener such as cornstarch or arrowroot starch.

While the flavor of ricotta is light, its texture is meant to be thick and creamy. Unfortunately, most grocery stores carry watery ricotta that seems to have lost this desirable quality. Heres a quick tip to restore its consistency, making it perfect to use in any dish, from lasagna to cannoli.

Line a fine mesh strainer with two layers of cheesecloth, making sure the cheesecloth has an overhang, so you can cover the ricotta. Let the ricotta strain for at least an hour. I like to leave mine draining in the fridge overnight, to obtain a very firm and creamy ricotta.

Like most leftovers, your stuffed shells should last for three to four days in a fridge set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower . If you can't eat the extra stuffed shells so soon, put them in the freezer set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit and they will stay fresh for four months.