These Stuffed Shells Appetizer are your favorite lasagna filling stuffed into jumbo pasta shells, then baked in a muffin tin and served as awesome finger food!
Jumbo Stuffed Shells Appetizer
We love food where the vessel that holds it is edible, too – think soup in a bread bowl, zucchini boats, and stuffed pasta shells. We love it even more when it’s finger food. I took my beloved lasagna roll ups recipe and converted it into these jumbo stuffed shells appetizer.
Filled with aromatics, three types of cheese, and topped with rich pasta sauce, these stuffed shells are a delicious and fun appetizer for entertaining guests during the holidays, for game day, or any occasion.
This version is meatless, but if you want to add sausage or chicken, go for it. And hey, if you want to serve these as dinner instead of an appetizer, that works too!
Ingredients Needed
These stuffed shells are made with three types of cheese, your favorite pasta sauce, and just a few other ingredients.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Jumbo pasta shells – Make sure you buy jumbo shells, not little ones.
- Pasta sauce – Choose a good quality pasta sauce with loads of flavor, whether it be homemade or store-bought. I highly recommend our homemade marinara sauce or for a non vegetarian option, our spaghetti meat sauce. Both are excellent.
- Ricotta cheese – A traditional filling ingredient in stuffed shells. Ricotta has a milky, sweet, and mellow flavor with a creamy texture.
- Shredded mozzarella – Delicate, mild, and melts wonderfully.
- Parmesan – Use freshly grated for optimal flavor.
- Garlic – For aromatics and flavor. Use fresh.
- Egg – Helps hold the filling together.
- Spinach – A package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry, or cook up 8 ounces of fresh spinach (then chop) and add to the filling.
- Seasonings – Fresh parsley, dried Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes season the dish, in addition to the sauce.
Recipe Variations
From adding veggies to using a different sauce, there are many ways to switch up these jumbo stuffed shells.
- Switch up the sauce. If you’re a fan of alfredo sauce, you can also make a white version of these stuffed shells by swapping the red sauce. You can also use a hearty bolognese sauce.
- Add some meat. While this makes a great vegetarian appetizer, you can also stir in some cooked chicken, cooked ground beef, or cooked ground sausage into the filling mixture.
- Mix up the cheeses. Ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella are a traditional cheese trio for the filling, but you can swap them out for other cheeses like cottage cheese, provolone, or fontina.
- Stir in some veggies. While spinach is the most common choice, you can also stir in other cooked, finely chopped veggies to the filling. Think about cooked mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, broccoli and zucchini.
How to Make Stuffed Shells Appetizer
These stuffed pasta shells are easy to make.
(Scroll to the bottom for our easy printable recipe with the complete directions.)
- Prepare a mini muffin tin. Coat a 24-slot mini muffin tin with nonstick spray.
- Cook the shells. Cook the pasta shells in boiling salted water, al dente according to the package. Drain and rinse under cold water. Spread out on a baking sheet.
- Create the filling. Mix together the other ingredients, except for the pasta sauce. Transfer to a piping bag.
- Stuff the shells. Fill the shells with the mixture (about a heaping tablespoon.) Dollop with some pasta sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan.
- Transfer to muffin tin. Place a stuffed shell into each muffin tin slot.
- Bake. Transfer to a 375F preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes until the mixture is warmed through and cheese has melted.
- Serve. Let rest for a couple minutes, garnish with fresh chopped parsley, serve and enjoy!
Tips for Success
For the best stuffed pasta shells, keep the following in mind.
- Boil extra shells. Most jumbo pasta shells come in a 12 ounce box with about 40 shells. You will only need about 24 for this recipe, but I always cook a few extra in case one or more tear, which seems inevitable when cooking shells or lasagna noodles.
- Don’t overcook the shells. The shells should boil until al dente or even a little less cooked because they will continue to cook in the oven. Overcooking them will lead to mushy shells that don’t hold up the filling and make them difficult to hold.
- Rinse the shells with cold water. Immediately after you drain the shells, rinse them with cold water to prevent them from cooking further.
- Grate your own cheese. For both the parmesan and mozzarella, I recommend shredding the cheese yourself if at all possible for the absolute best flavor.
- Use a piping bag. Using a piping bag to fill the shells with the cheese mixture makes this dish really easy to assemble.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Assemble ahead. This recipe for stuffed jumbo shells can be assembled up to 8 hours before you plan to bake them. Cover them tightly and store it in the fridge until then. Since the pasta and filling will be cold, you might need to tack on an additional 5 or so minutes to the bake time.
- Storing leftovers. Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat. Leftovers can be reheated in the oven or the microwave. If reheating in the oven, cover the pan with foil so the sauce doesn’t dry out or the tops burn.
- Freeze. Assemble as directed, then cover them with plastic wrap and again in foil and place them in the freezer instead of baking them. Thaw overnight in the fridge then bake as directed. OR freeze after baking. Allow to cool completely, transfer to a freezer safe container or plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge then reheat as directed, adding on a few extra minutes until warmed through.
More Easy Appetizers:
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Jumbo Stuffed Shells Appetizer
These Stuffed Shells Appetizer are your favorite lasagna filling stuffed into jumbo pasta shells, then baked in a muffin tin and served as awesome finger food!
Servings: 24 appetizers
Ingredients
- 24 jumbo pasta shells
- 1 & 3/4 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese , divided
- 1 clove garlic , finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- 10 ounce package frozen spinach, , thawed and squeezed dry (see note)
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Coat a 24-slot mini muffin tin with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil; throw in a pinch of salt and add your pasta shells. Cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water, then transfer to a baking sheet in a single layer.
- In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, egg, mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, salt, pepper, and Italian herbs. Add in the spinach; mix until combined.
- Fill each cooked shell with a heaping tablespoon of the ricotta mixture. (A piping bag makes this super easy!)
- Place a stuffed shell into each muffin tin slot. Top with a dollop of marinara sauce and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over each one.
- Bake for 20 minutes until mixture is warmed through and cheese has melted.
- Garnish with the parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Make extra shells. Most jumbo pasta shells come in a 12 ounce box with about 40 shells. You will only need about 24 for this recipe, but I always cook a few extra in case one or more tear, which seems inevitable when cooking shells or lasagna noodles.
Don’t overcook the shells. The shells should boil until al dente or even a little less cooked because they will continue to cook in the oven. Overcooking them will lead to mushy shells that don’t hold up the filling and make them difficult to hold.
Fresh spinach. If you prefer to use fresh spinach instead of frozen, cook up 8 to 10 ounces of fresh (then chop) and add to the filling. Or you can simply omit the spinach, if you don’t like it.
Use a piping bag. Using a piping bag to fill the shells with the cheese mixture makes this dish really easy to assemble.
Variations. From adding meat to using a different sauce, there are many ways to switch up this recipe. See suggestions in the article.
Storage. Instructions to make-ahead, storing leftovers, freezing, and reheating are included in the article.
Nutrition
Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 134mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1550IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 1mg
Delicious and something different than the usual appetizer fare. So clever. I might add some cooked sausage next time.
Hosted a group of 12 and wanted something different. We loved these.
Served these for our Bunco night and they were a big hit – such a fun twist on stuffed shells and finger food!