Baked Stuffed Shells (Conchiglie Ripiene al Forno)

From the kitchen of Carly

Giant pasta shells cradled in silky ricotta, fresh mozzarella, and tangy tomato sauce. Everything bakes together into a comforting, deeply savory Italian classic. Simple ingredients handled with care make all the difference here.

Baked Stuffed Shells (Conchiglie Ripiene al Forno)

Jumbo shells cradle a cloud of drained ricotta, fresh mozzarella, and Parmigiano, then nestle into a tomato sauce built on crushed garlic and slow heat. The trick is draining the ricotta properly, which takes a full day but guarantees a filling that's silky, never watery. This is what stuffed pasta should taste like: restrained, clean, and entirely about the cheese.

Prep
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Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 1/2 lbfresh ricotta or packaged whole-milk ricotta
  • 1 canpeeled Italian plum tomatoes
  • 1Salt
  • 1 lbfresh mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cupfreshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 1/3 cupchopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1Freshly ground white pepper
  • 1 largeegg
  • 1/4 cupextra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 clovegarlic, crushed
  • 1/2 tspcrushed hot red pepper
  • 10fresh basil leaves
  • 1 lbjumbo pasta shells

Instructions

  1. Line a sieve with cheesecloth, set it over a bowl, and pack the ricotta inside. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to a full day. Pour off and discard whatever liquid has collected in the bowl.

  2. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill fitted with the fine disc. No food mill: seed the tomatoes, drop them into a food processor, and pulse in short bursts until finely ground, being careful not to overprocess or you will work air into them and dull their color and texture. While you handle the tomatoes, bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.

  3. Cut half the mozzarella into thin slices and dice the remaining half into 1/4-inch cubes. Tip the drained ricotta into a mixing bowl and fold in the mozzarella cubes, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and parsley. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Beat the egg well, then stir it into the ricotta mixture until everything is evenly combined.

  4. Pour the olive oil into a large skillet and set it over medium heat. Scatter the garlic into the oil and cook, shaking the pan often, until the cloves turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Hold the tomatoes close to the surface of the pan and pour them in carefully. Add the crushed red pepper and a light pinch of salt, then bring the sauce up to a quick boil before dropping the heat to a simmer. Cook until lightly thickened, about 30 minutes, stirring the basil in during the final few minutes.

  5. Stir the shells into the boiling water and return it to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until the shells have softened but are still quite firm at the center, about 7 minutes. Lift them out with a large skimmer and lower them gently into a bowl of cold water, then drain with care.

  6. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread about 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce across the bottom of a 15 by 10-inch baking dish. Spoon roughly 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture into each shell, filling them to capacity without overstuffing, and nestle them side by side in the dish as you go. Spoon the remaining sauce over the top, coating each shell, then lay the mozzarella slices in an even layer across everything. Bake until the mozzarella is browned and bubbling, about 25 minutes, then pull the dish from the oven and let it rest 5 minutes before serving.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Drain your ricotta the night before in cheesecloth over a bowl in the fridge. Don't skip this step. Wet filling will make soggy shells.
  • Pass the tomatoes through a food mill with the fine disc for the smoothest sauce. A food processor works if you pulse gently and watch it closely, but don't overwork or you'll whip in air and dull the color.
  • Cook the sauce low and slow for 30 minutes so it thickens slightly and the garlic flavor mellows. A thin sauce won't cling to the shells.
  • Slice half the mozzarella thin for layering in the baking dish, and cube the rest for the filling. This gives you pockets of melted cheese throughout.
  • Don't oversalt the ricotta mixture. The Parmigiano, mozzarella, and tomato sauce all bring salt, so go light and taste as you build it.

Variations

  • Swap fresh basil for dried oregano if you want a more austere, Campania-style sauce. Add the oregano to the garlic and oil at the start instead of stirring it in at the end.
  • Layer thin ricotta slices and mozzarella between the shells instead of mixing it all together for a more luxurious, almost lasagna-like texture.
  • Stir a handful of fresh spinach or broccoli rabe into the filling for body and a gentle bitter edge that cuts the richness.
  • Add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg to the ricotta mixture. It's traditional in some regions and adds warmth without announcing itself.

Make ahead and storage

Covered in the refrigerator, stuffed shells keep for up to 3 days. Freeze well for up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the fridge, and reheat covered at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Add a splash of water or sauce to the top before reheating so nothing dries out.