One-Pan Baked Stuffed Shells with Ricotta
All the stuffed-shell comfort, baked in one pan with fewer dishes.
When you want something cozy but do not have the energy for a big production, this one-pan baked stuffed shells dinner is the move. It gives you the familiar comfort of ricotta-stuffed pasta, marinara, and melted cheese, but you assemble and bake everything in a single oven-safe skillet or baking dish. The shells soften right in the sauce, so you do not need a separate pasta pot. Expect a rich, cheesy, very satisfying dinner that feels like a real meal without much cleanup. It is not fancy, and that is the point: warm, comforting, and simple enough for a tired night.
Ingredients
- 20 unit jumbo pasta shells — About 20 to 24 shells
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese — Divided
- 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese — Divided
- 1 unit egg
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley — Plus more for serving
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- 0.5 cup water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cup baby spinach — Optional but nice
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes — Optional
Method
- 1 Heat the oven to 375°F. In a large oven-safe skillet or 9x13-inch baking dish, stir together the marinara sauce, water, and olive oil. If using spinach, scatter it over the sauce.
- 2 In a bowl, mix the ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan, egg, parsley, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.
- 3 Spoon the ricotta mixture into the uncooked shells and nestle them into the sauce, opening side up. Cover tightly with foil.
- 4 Bake for 25 minutes, then uncover, sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan, and bake 8 to 10 minutes more until the cheese is melted and the shells are tender.
- 5 Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving so the filling sets a little. Spoon extra sauce over the top and add more parsley if you want.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Add sautéed mushrooms or chopped roasted zucchini to the ricotta filling for extra vegetable comfort.
- Faster swap — Use no-boil shells if your store carries them, and keep the pan tightly covered for the full first bake.
- Substitutions — Swap spinach for chopped kale, or use part-skim ricotta and low-moisture mozzarella if that is what you have.
Notes
If your baking dish looks dry before baking, add a splash more water around the edges. For a saucier result, serve with garlic bread or a simple green salad, but the dish is complete on its own.
Equipment that helps
- Large oven-safe skillet or 9x13-inch baking dish — It lets you build and bake the whole dinner in one vessel, which keeps cleanup low.
- Mixing bowl — A separate bowl makes it easy to combine the ricotta filling without overhandling the pasta.
- Foil — Covering the pan helps the shells soften evenly in the sauce before the cheese browns.
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