No Hassle Stuffed Shells Pasta Bake Recipes

STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Combine cheeses and spinach; stuff into shells. Arrange in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Pour spaghetti sauce over the shells. Cover and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese after baking.

GIANT STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta shells in boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir mushrooms and garlic in hot oil until mushrooms are soft, about 7 minutes. Stir spinach and thyme into the mushroom mixture; season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir the mixture until the spinach wilts. Remove the skillet from heat and drain any excess liquid; transfer drained mixture to a large bowl.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Mix ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese with the spinach mixture; season again with salt and pepper and stuff into pasta shells.
• Arrange stuffed shells into a 9x11-inch baking dish. Pour pasta sauce over the shells; top with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is melted and the shells are hot, about 30 minutes.

CHEESY MEATLESS STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add shells and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 9 minutes.
• While the shells are cooking, heat olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatless ground beef and cook and stir until brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes; add spinach and simmer until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes more. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat and mix in ricotta cheese and egg until fully incorporated.
• Pour 1/2 cup marinara sauce into the bottom of a 12-inch cast iron skillet or a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread out with the back of a large spoon.
• Drain cooked shells. Stuff each with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the "meat" mixture. Arrange in the skillet or baking dish. Pour remaining marinara over the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Sprinkle with remaining Italian seasoning and more black pepper.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is golden and bubbly, 35 to 45 minutes.

STUFFED PASTA SHELLS CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well.
• Combine pasta sauce and carrots; spread 1/2 cup onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
• Mix cottage cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, egg white and basil until blended; spoon into shells. Place over sauce in baking dish; top with remaining pasta sauce mixture. Cover.
• Bake 25 min. or until heated through. Top with remaining mozzarella; bake 2 min. or until melted.

BAKED STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• In an 8 quart pot, bring water to a boil and cook shells for 8 minutes or until al dente.
• Drain and cool immediately with cold water.
• Drain and place open side down on paper towels.
• In a medium bowl, combine the rest of ingredients except the spaghetti sauce.
• Reserve the 1/4 cup of Mozzarella.
• Place a thin layer of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of a 12 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Spoon the cheese mixture into each pasta shell and place open side up, in a single layer, in prepared pan.
• Pour the rest of sauce over the stuffed shells.
• Loosely cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
• During last 5 minutes of baking, remove foil and sprinkle remaining Mozzarella cheese on top.
• Bake 5 more minutes.
• Garnish with fresh chopped basil.

STUFFED PASTA BAKE BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• To make the bolognese, heat the oil in a wide ovenproof pan over a medium heat. Fry the onion, celery and carrot with some seasoning for 20 mins until soft and lightly golden. Tip in the beef mince, turn up the heat and fry, stirring regularly, for another 10 mins until the mince browns. Add the garlic, fry for a minute, then pour in the wine and bubble for a few mins more, scraping the pan to release any bits. Stir through the purée, bay leaves and tomatoes, with a canful of water. Simmer for 1½ hrs, covered for the first hour, then remove the lid and bubble until the tomatoes have broken down. Season with salt, pepper, the sugar and balsamic vinegar.
• Tip the pasta shells into a large heatproof bowl with a pinch of salt, and pour over a kettle of boiled water. Cover and leave to soften for 15-20 mins - they need to retain some firmness so you can fill them.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 4 and drain the pasta. Use a fork to mash the mascarpone with the mozzarella, chopped basil, garlic and some black pepper in a bowl.
• The bolognese should be a little wetter than you'd like as the pasta shells will absorb some of the liquid as it bakes. Remove from the heat, giving it a final stir. Using a teaspoon, fill the pasta shells with some of the mascarpone mixture, pressing the mix in with your index finger. Nestle the shells into the sauce, filled-side up. Bake for 20-30 mins until the top is golden and bubbling, and the pasta is tender. Grate over some parmesan and finish with a few basil leaves.

SIMPLE STUFFED SHELLS (WITH NO MEAT OPTION)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 F and grease a 9x13" casserole; if you have not already done so, prepare pasta shells according to package directions and also brown your sausage, drain & crumble.
• Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, all of the ricotta (use 2 cups if not using meat or if you like it very cheesey, even if you are using meat, otherwise use just 1 cup), as well as the parsley (reserving a small amount to garnish), egg, Parmesan cheese, garlic, nutmeg and black pepper.
• Pour sauce into the baking dish and then set the unfilled shells on top facing up so that you can fill them.
• Evenly portion out the crumbled sausage, if using, in the bottom of each shell.
• Spoon filling to a large ziptop plastic bag and snip off one corner.
• Pipe about 2 Tbsp filling into the each of the prepared pasta shells, or as much or as little as you prefer.
• Cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until sauce is bubbling under the foil.
• Remove foil, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and bake, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
• Serve extra sauce from the pan on the side.

SPICY UNSTUFFED PASTA SHELLS WITH ROASTED GARLIC AND CHèVRE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Fill a large pot with 4 quarts water and add the salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for 8 minutes; it will be underdone. Reserve ¾ cup of the liquid and drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet, combine the marinara, roasted garlic, 1 ounce of the chèvre, and the red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the cheese is fully incorporated, about 2 minutes.
• Add the pasta to the skillet along with the reserved cooking liquid. Cook over medium heat, stirring to combine, about 2 minutes. Dollop the remaining 3 ounces chèvre all over.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Turn on the broiler and cook until the cheese is brown and bubbly, about 2 more minutes.
• Top with the parsley and more red pepper flakes. Serve warm.