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Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Sun dried tomato ricotta stuffed shells baked into a creamy ricotta filling with chopped sun-dried tomatoes, then covered in bubbling mozzarella. Giant jumbo shells get filled generously and baked in marinara for an Italian-style ricotta pasta bake with golden cheese.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Jumbo pasta shells
  • 1 20-24 jumbo pasta shells Cook al dente and drain before stuffing.
Ricotta filling
  • 15 oz ricotta cheese
  • 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil Drain and chop.
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella Use 1 cup total for the filling, then reserve for topping.
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese Grated.
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil Chopped.
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 salt To taste.
  • 0.25 black pepper To taste.
Baking sauce and topping
  • 3 cups marinara sauce
  • 0.5 cup shredded mozzarella For topping (in addition to the 1 cup used in the filling).
  • 1 fresh basil For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x13 baking dish

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and spread 1 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish to form the base layer.
Mix the ricotta filling
  1. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, egg, minced garlic, chopped basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper until well mixed and smooth.
Stuff the shells
  1. Fill each cooked jumbo pasta shell generously with the ricotta mixture and arrange them in the baking dish in an even layer.
Assemble and bake
  1. Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the stuffed shells so they’re coated, then top with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
Bake covered, then uncover
  1. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 375°F until the sauce is hot and bubbling around the edges.
  2. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes at 375°F until the cheese is golden and the marinara is actively bubbling.
Finish and serve
  1. Garnish with fresh basil and serve warm.

Notes

Pro tip: Let the stuffed shells sit 5 minutes after baking so the filling firms up for cleaner servings. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 3 days. Freezing is yes—freeze cooled portions (without garnish) up to 2 months and reheat until hot throughout. For a dietary swap, use part-skim ricotta and reduced-fat mozzarella to lower calories while keeping the creamy texture.