Easy Stuffed Shells Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep stuffed shells from sticking together? ›

You should only be cooking the shells to al dente to start! 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.

I often serve these stuffed shells with my Homemade Caesar Salad, but my Arugula Salad, Beet Salad, or Simple Green Salad would also pair well with this recipe. And when it comes to bread, you really can't go wrong! Stick with a crusty loaf, or make rosemary focaccia, garlic knots, or dinner rolls. Enjoy!

Stuffed shells can get watery for a few different reasons. One reason could be that the shells were not cooked long enough and they released water while cooking. Another reason could be that the filling was too wet, which made the shells soggy.

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.

Making in Advance and Refrigerating

To store this (uncooked) stuffed shell recipe in the refrigerator, prepare according to recipe instructions then cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or foil. You may refrigerate for up to three days before baking according to recipe instructions.

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.

I don't recommend cooking the shells before freezing. Freeze them right BEFORE cooking (see instructions above).

How to Store Stuffed Shells. Store leftover stuffed shells in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in the microwave.

Place a single serving of shells on a microwave-safe dish and drizzle a little extra sauce or water on top to keep them moist while they cook. Then, cover the dish and microwave the shells at medium heat for 1 to 1 ½ minutes.

Remarkably simple to make, the versatile ricotta cheese is drained soon after cooking to form anything from a wet mush to firm, crumbly curds. Whether you are making your own ricotta, or drying out store-bought ricotta that is too wet for your taste, the draining process is the same.

Why do you add an egg to ricotta cheese? ›

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 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.

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.

Conchiglie is a pasta variety that is shaped like a conch shell. The smallest shell shape is called conchigliette and the largest shell shape is called conchiglioni.

I would just blanch the pasta, drop them in boiling hot water for just a few minutes, drain the water and rinse the shells in cold tap water until they are cooled down, then fill/stuff them. You can always try stuffing them uncooked, but I have found they turn out better blanching them first. Hope this helps!

In a bowl or container, set aside any pasta that will be stored in the fridge. Add oil to the pasta to the container and toss until it is all coated in the oil — the amount of oil you should use will depend on the amount of pasta you have cook, but around 1 tbsp of oil per 250g of pasta should be sufficient.

"The adhesives produced by mussels and barnacles are mostly made of proteins, but oyster adhesive is about 90 percent calcium carbonate, or chalk. On its own, chalk is not sticky.

I recommend pouring one ounce of olive oil in the boiling water, so that when you place the pasta shells in the water, they become coated with oil, and avoid sticking together. Boil the shells for six to seven minutes.