Today, my mom and I are sharing one of our absolute FAVORITE recipes ever- this is SO good! My mom has been making this forever and it is now a staple in my home as well. The homemade alfredo sauce and breadcrumb topping really takes this next level. We typically make cheese-filled shells, but you could easily add in cooked Italian sausage/meat as well!
Giant Stuffed Shells
Ingredients:
- 16 jumbo shells
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella/provolone mixture shredded
- 1 cup parmesan shredded
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 15oz marinara
- 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp butter
Alfredo Sauce:
- 6 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 1 cup parmesan grated
- 1/4 cup mozzarella/provolone mix
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Cook shells 12 min
- In a bowl, mix ricotta, mozzarella/provolone, parmesan, basil, oregano, and garlic. Stir well.
- Rinse pasta with cool water
- Spray 8×8 pan with nonstick spray and then add about 1 cup of marinara to coat bottom of pan
- Stuff cooked shells with 2 tbsp filling per shell and then place on top of marinara
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400F for 20 mins
- In skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter – add breadcrumbs – stir until toasty brown, about 1-2 mins. Spoon into a small bowl and set aside.
- When 5 minutes is left on shells, in the same skillet melt 6 tbsp of butter. Add minced garlic and slowly stir in half and half + both cheeses. Continue stirring until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.
- Remove shells from oven
- Spoon Alfredo sauce overtop and around shells
- Add a little more marinara on top and sprinkle breadcrumbs and any extra parmesan cheese on top
- Broil on high for 2-3 minutes until cheese browns slightly
We typically serve these stuffed shells with garlic bread and a salad. Believe us, EVERYONE will love these and go back for more! Again, you can certainly add meat into the filling as well. We hope you all enjoy this recipe and we cannot wait to hear what you think. Love, Alexa and Nina
