Easy Stuffed Shells with Cottage Cheese

From Lynne ON April 17, 2024 » Leave a review

Prepare these Easy stuffed shells with ricotta for dinner tonight! Jumbo Pasta Shells are filled with a creamy ricotta mixture, topped with a tasty ground beef pasta sauce, then topped with plenty of gooey melted mozzarella! This easy weeknight dinner is the perfect addition to your menu!

This classic recipe is delicious with any jarred marinara sauce from the grocery store. But if you have a little more time and want the best stuffed shells ever, try making my hearty meat sauce recipe to use in this dish!

I love making this meal for potlucks. It’s easy to make ahead and bake or reheat right before serving. It’s a great way to feed a crowd.
My husband even says he prefers this recipe to my ever popular Ricotta Stuffed Shells recipe!
I was surprised and then he said he doesn’t like the taste of cottage cheese. Who knew?

So I’ll have to make my mom’s lasagna with ricotta filling and see what she thinks too!
See it soon on a blog near you. 😉

Easy stuffed shells with ricotta-based ingredients.

Ingredients for shells filled with ricotta

Jumbo pasta shells– for cooked shells you need to buy jumbo shells because they are easier to fill. They tend to tear when boiled, so be sure to cook a few more!
Ground beef– You can also use Italian sausage or even ground turkey for a low-fat option.
Olive oil
Chopped onion
Chopped garlic
Pasta sauce
Italian seasoning
Low-fat cottage cheese
Milk
Partially skimmed grated mozzarella
Grated Parmesan cheese
Egg
Dried parsley

First set of process photos for easy stuffed shells with ricotta.

How to prepare shells stuffed with ricotta

Prepare

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking pan by spraying it with cooking spray.
In the meantime, cook the pasta shells in a large pot with salted water, following the instructions on the package, until al dente.

Meat sauce

Next, pour the olive oil into a large pan and heat it over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add the ground beef to the pan and cook the meat until browned.
Pour in the pasta sauce and add the Italian seasoning. Cook over low heat until ready to use.

Stuffed With Cheese

Place the filling ingredients (egg, milk, ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, parmesan, and parsley) in a blender. Blend until smooth and well combined.

Tip: You may need to remove the blender from the base to mix with a spatula. DO NOT remove the lid from the blender and blend while the blender is turned on. Also, you may need to add a little more milk to the contents if you find it doesn’t circulate well and is too thick. However, be careful not to add too much because otherwise the filling will be too liquid and you will not be able to fill the shells.

Second set of process photos for easy stuffed shells with ricotta.

Assemble and cook:

Place 1/3 of the ragù in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Fill each of the cooked shells with the filling and arrange them all in the baking dish. I like to use a piping bag to fill the shells.
Pour the remaining ragù over the shells and cover the pan with aluminum foil.
Cook for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining cup of mozzarella over the shells. Return to the oven and cook uncovered for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Let cool slightly before serving and enjoy your meal!

A baking dish full of filled pasta shells ready for the oven.

Recipe variations

Add some chopped spinach to the pasta sauce.
Use cottage cheese instead of cottage cheese.
Use fresh herbs instead of dried ones for flavor.
Use half marinara sauce and half alfredo sauce!
Make it meatless using a meatless marinara sauce and cheese filling.

Frequent questions

Can I make these easy stuffed shells in advance?

Yes, you can prepare them even a day in advance and keep them well covered in the refrigerator until ready to cook them.

Stuffed shells are also one of my favorite frozen meals! You can store them in the freezer once assembled in the pan. Cover them tightly with aluminum foil and freeze them for up to a month.

To defrost, transfer the dish to the refrigerator overnight (or in the morning before you prepare to cook them). Let the dish sit at room temperature while the oven preheats, then bake as directed.

Pasta conchiglioni stuffed with ricotta.

How do I store leftover stuffed shells?

If you have any ricotta-filled shells left over, you can transfer them to an airtight container or cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or the entire dish in a 350-degree oven until heated through.

What can I pair with baked stuffed shells?

This tasty pasta dish pairs well with a simple green salad and garlic bread or some good crusty bread. Try grandma’s homemade Italian bread recipe! Bread and pasta go so well together.

More pasta recipes you’ll love

Here you will find lots of new delicious pasta recipes. For now, try some of these favorite recipes:

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Created by: Lynne Feifer

Easy stuffed shells with ricotta

Preparation time 20

Time to cook 40

It’s easy stuffed shells with ricotta for dinner! Jumbo pasta shells filled with a creamy ricotta mixture, topped with a ground beef pasta sauce and plenty of gooey melted mozzarella!

Cooking modePrevents the screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking pan by spraying it with cooking spray.
Cook the pasta shells according to package directions.
Pour the olive oil into a large pan and heat it over medium heat.
Add the garlic and onion and sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add the ground beef to the pan and cook until browned.
Pour in the pasta sauce and Italian seasoning. Cook over low heat until ready to use.
Place egg, milk, ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, parmesan, and parsley in a blender. Blend until smooth and well combined. You may need to remove the blender from the base to mix with a spatula. DO NOT remove the lid from the blender and blend while the blender is turned on. Also, you may need to add a little more milk to the contents if you find it doesn’t circulate well and is too thick. However, be careful not to add too much because otherwise the filling will be too liquid and you will not be able to fill the shells.
Place 1/3 of the ragù in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Fill each shell with the filling and place it on the baking tray.
Pour the remaining ragù over the shells and cover the pan with foil.
Cook for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella over shells. Return to the oven and cook uncovered for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Notes

Be sure to remove the blender from the base before blending, if necessary. Also, don’t add too much milk to the cheese filling, or it will become too runny and won’t stay inside the shells when cooked.

Nutrition

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