Unstuffed Shells with Lemony Ricotta

Name: Unstuffed Shells with Lemony Ricotta
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 12 serving(s)
Ingredients: Olive oil, for brushing; 2 lb. large pasta shells (we used DeCecco no. 50); 2 c. whole-milk ricotta cheese; 1 c. flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped; 1 c. basil leaves, chopped, plus more for serving; 1 lb. whole-milk mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated (about 4 cups total), divided; 1 c. grated Pecorino Romano, divided; 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. lemon zest, divided; 2 24-oz. jars marinara sauce

Serve up this party pleaser.

By Tina MartinezPublished: Jan 3, 2025

1 Rating

mike garten

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Yields:

12 serving(s)

Total Time:

1 hr 15 mins

Cal/Serv:

584

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Rather than individually stuffing each shell (who has time for that?), dollop the ricotta filling on top and bake until molten and bubbly. Invite all your friends to dig in — when we say this feeds a crowd, we’re not joking!

Get the look: For the blue rimmed baking sheet in the recipe photo, shop GH sheet pans and other cookware at qvc.co/GH.

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Ingredients

Olive oil, for brushing
2 lb.
large pasta shells (we used DeCecco no. 50)
2 cups
whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 cup
flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1 cup
basil leaves, chopped, plus more for serving
1 lb.
whole-milk mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated (about 4 cups total), divided
1 cup
grated Pecorino Romano, divided
1 Tbsp.
plus 1 tsp. lemon zest, divided
2
24-oz. jars marinara sauce

Directions

1. Step 1Heat oven to 425°F. Brush rimmed baking sheet with oil. Arrange oven rack 6 inches from broiler.
2. Step 2Cook pasta 4 minutes less than package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain pasta and return to pot.
3. Step 3While pasta cooks, in large bowl, stir together ricotta, parsley, basil, half of mozzarella, 3/4 cup pecorino and 1 tablespoon lemon zest.
4. Step 4Toss pasta with marinara sauce and reserved pasta water to coat. Spread on prepared baking sheet and dollop ricotta mixture on top. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and bake until cheese mixture is bubbly, 19 to 22 minutes.
5. Step 5Remove from oven (baking sheet will be heavy) and heat broiler. Broil pasta until browned in spots, 1 to
  3 minutes (depending on broiler). Let cool 10 minutes, then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pecorino, teaspoon lemon zest and additional basil if desired.
6. Step 6Refrigerate leftover baked shells in airtight container up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (per serving): About 584 calories, 22 g fat (11 g saturated), 64 mg cholesterol, 974 mg sodium, 71 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 10 g sugar (3.5 g added sugar), 29 g protein

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