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These Vegetarian Stuffed Shells are packed with delicious flavor and smothered in marinara sauce for the perfect dinner. You won't even miss the meat!
This recipe will leave you feeling full and satisfied without any meat! It is the perfect Italian night dinner recipe and also an excellent meal to feed a crowd of people.
Is it just me or when someone mentions cheese filled pasta, are you automatically down? Never say tortellini near me because I will start drooling & same goes for these stuffed shells. My mom made them for me when I was growing up, but for some reason I was weird about ricotta as a child, but now I have an unconditional loving relationship with it.
If you have extra time, make my quick marinara sauce ahead of time. If you are short on time, you can stick with jarred marinara and it will still be delicious!
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- It's vegetarian, but feels like total comfort food and is full of flavor
- Warm marinara is poured over the top and will take you to heaven and back
- This recipe is elegant, but is actually quite simple to make
- The cheesy filling will make you not even miss the meat
If you love Italian Recipes like me, you've got to try these too:
Creamy Italian Spinach Gnocchi
Frequently Asked Questions for this Recipe:
The egg helps to bind all of the ingredients together to form the filling.
Sure thing! You can cook ½ pound of ground beef or sausage in a skillet on the stovetop and allow it to cool a bit before mixing it into the cheesy filling.
Yes! They freeze great if you have a vacuum sealer or cover a casserole dish with plastic wrap, then wrap in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When you pull them from the freezer, allow them to unthaw a bit, then bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.
Pairings with this Recipe:
Try a glass of Pinot Noir or Reisling to pair with these stuffed shells.
For an appetizer, try my Classic Bruschette Recipe with french bread.
Looking for a salad? How about my Wedge Salad recipe with homemade blue cheese dressing. Oh my! I'm currently typing and drooling.
Ingredients:
Jumbo Shells: The ideal pasta to hold the magnificent cheesy filling
Mozzarella Cheese: Delicate, milky cheese that helps build flavor
Ricotta Cheese: Creamy white soft cheese & the base of the filling
Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese: My favorite, nutty cheese for topping this decadent dish
Egg: To bind the filling and create the ideal texture
Marinara Sauce: Sweet and savory marinara pours over the top of these shells for the perfect flavor combination
Parsley- Fresh Italian Herb that pairs wonderfully with stuffed shells & really any pasta
Salt and Pepper- For seasoning
How to Make Vegetarian Stuffed Shells:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Boil the Pasta:
Boil the jumbo shells until al dente (about 8-9 minutes). Pour the cooked shells into strainer and allow them to cool for a few minutes before handling.
Prepare the filling:
In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add in mozzarella, ricotta, parsley, and salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.
Pour a ladle full of marinara sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish and spread to cover.
Stuff the shells:
Fill each jumbo shell with the cheese filling using a spoon or piping bag. (or my favorite, a big ziplock bag with the corner snipped off)
Top the shells with another ladle of sauce, reserving at least 1 cup of marinara for serving. Top with ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese.
Time to bake:
Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 5 more minutes.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Serving: Warm your remaining marinara sauce up for serving and ladle over your shells. Top with Parmesan cheese.
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Vegetarian Stuffed Shells
- Total Time: 1 hr, 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Description
These Vegetarian Stuffed Shells are packed with delicious flavor and smothered in marinara sauce for the perfect dinner. You won't even miss the meat!
Ingredients
- (1) 12 ounce package Jumbo Shells
- 1 tablespoon parsley, minced
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 16 ounce container of whole milk ricotta (Please don’t go part skim here..it’s just not that good)
- ½ cup finely shredded parmigiano reggiano cheese
- 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce or my Quick Marinara Recipe
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Boil the Pasta: Boil the jumbo shells al dente (about 8-9 minutes). Pour the cooked shells into strainer and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add in mozzarella, ricotta, parsley, and salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Pour a ladle full of marinara sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish and spread covering the bottom of the dish.
- Stuff the shells: Fill each jumbo shell with the cheese filling using a spoon or piping bag.
- Top the shells with another ladle of sauce, reserving at least 1 cup of marinara for serving. Top with ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese.
- Time to bake: Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 5 more minutes.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- Serving: Warm your remaining marinara sauce up for serving and ladle over your shells. Top with Parmesan cheese.
Equipment
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Notes
Serve with crusty french bread.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cooling Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Dinner Ideas, vegetarian dinner ideas, vegetarian stuffed shells
Holly
LOVE LOVE LOVE!
★★★★★