Ricotta Stuffed Shells with Marinara — The Italian-American Showstopper

Authentic Italian Gourmet Pasta Sauce. No Added Sugar. Ever.

Stuffed shells are the dish that looks like you spent all day in the kitchen and actually takes about an hour. Jumbo pasta shells filled with a creamy ricotta mixture, nestled in rich marinara, blanketed with mozzarella — it's Italian-American cooking at its most generous and most impressive.

The marinara is the foundation. It has to be rich enough to bake into the shells, bright enough to stay vibrant after 40 minutes in the oven, and flavorful enough to carry the whole dish. Albanese's Finest Original Marinara — authentic Italian gourmet pasta sauce with no added sugar — is exactly that sauce.

• 12 oz jumbo pasta shells (about 24 shells)
• 1 jar Albanese's Finest Original Marinara (24 oz)
• 15 oz whole-milk ricotta
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
• ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
• Fresh basil for serving

Step 1 — Cook the shells. Boil jumbo shells in heavily salted water for 2 minutes less than the package directions — they'll finish cooking in the oven. Drain and lay flat on a lightly oiled baking sheet to prevent sticking.

Step 2 — Make the filling. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1 cup mozzarella, ¼ cup Parmigiano, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix until smooth.

Step 3 — Prep the baking dish. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread about ½ cup of marinara on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Step 4 — Fill the shells. Using a spoon or piping bag, fill each shell generously with the ricotta mixture. Nestle them open-side up in the baking dish in a single layer.

Step 5 — Add sauce and cheese. Spoon the remaining marinara over and around the shells. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmigiano.

Step 6 — Bake. Cover tightly with foil and bake 25 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling.

Step 7 — Rest and serve. Let rest 5 minutes. Top with fresh basil and serve.

Undercook the shells. Two minutes under al dente is the rule. They absorb moisture from the sauce as they bake and will be perfectly tender when they come out of the oven.

Use a piping bag. A zip-lock bag with the corner cut off makes filling the shells much faster and cleaner than a spoon. Fill the bag with the ricotta mixture and pipe directly into each shell.

Don't skip the sauce on the bottom. The layer of marinara on the bottom of the baking dish prevents the shells from sticking and ensures they cook evenly.

Make it ahead. Assemble the dish the night before, cover, and refrigerate. Bake the next day, adding 10 minutes to the covered baking time.

Variations

Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce: Substitute our Meat Sauce for the marinara, or use half of each.

Stuffed Shells with Spinach: Add 1 cup of wilted, squeezed-dry spinach to the ricotta filling.

Vodka Mascarpone Stuffed Shells: See our Stuffed Shells in Vodka Mascarpone Sauce recipe for a creamy variation.

About the Sauce

Albanese's Finest Original Marinara is made with no added sugar — which means the natural acidity of the tomatoes brightens the rich, cheesy filling perfectly. It's the authentic Italian gourmet pasta sauce that makes stuffed shells taste like they came from a real Italian-American kitchen.

No added sugar. Small-batch. Founder-made.

Shop Original Marinara →

Related recipes: Classic Baked Ziti with Marinara · Classic Lasagna with Marinara · Vodka Mascarpone Stuffed Shells