Our Best Ideas for Stuffed Shells
If you never forgot about stuffed shells, congratulations—you’re obviously winning at life. For the rest of us, why did these gooey, comfort food delights ever fall out of favor? But wait—before we go on the nostalgia tour with the tomato sauce, ricotta and mozz, that never hit a wrong note, just think of all the directions these scrumptious baked pasta vessels can take your family dinner tonight. Forget decorative gourd season—we hereby anoint cozy season, wintry season, hygge season: stuffed shell season.
Looking for somewhere to start? This recipe has all the components of a home run: the tomato sauce, a savory ricotta filling flecked with fresh parsley and the shells, soft and yielding in some spots, toasted and crisp at the tips. But here’s the best part: No par-boiling of the pasta is necessary. A relatively watery sauce (made by just adding water) and a tight foil top allows the pasta to cook right in the casserole, absorbing the flavorful liquid and rendering this (our favorite) a one-pan dinner.
