These Eggless Ricotta Stuffed Shells are not only simple, but they are delicious! Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with tons of cheese, topped with marinara, and baked to bubbly goodness. This vegetarian dinner is ready in 45 minutes or less!
Why I Love This Recipe
As far as family favorite meals go, Italian dishes are often on the top of the list. Eggless Ricotta Stuffed Shells are no exception. My eggless version of this classic dish is easy, cheesy, and so delicious!
How does this sound? Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. Topped with homemade marinara and baked until tender and gooey. Served with fresh basil!
Yummy, right? And this dinner is ready in 45 minutes or less and is vegetarian!
When it comes to weeknight dinners, the easier, the better, am I right? Most of us don’t have hours to spend creating gourmet meals that, let’s be honest, our kids probably will only pick at.
I have a few tips for throwing Eggless Ricotta Stuffed Shells together quickly and simply that will make this a go-to meal for busy weeknights! It is a family favorite around here, which means it ends up in the meal rotation regularly.
We love it so much that I also have a fall version…check out my Eggless Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells!
Eggless Ricotta Stuffed Shells are not only simple, but they are also a great make-ahead meal! You can prepare it and put it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to finish it, or you can even freeze it, sans the sauce, for a hectic night. Keep reading to find out exactly how to do either of these options.
This dish is sure to be a hit at your dinner table, too.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the full list of amounts needed for Eggless Ricotta Stuffed Shells, scroll down to the complete recipe. You’ll need:
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Step By Step Recipe Photo Tutorial
1 – Cook the jumbo pasta shells until al dente.
Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.
2 – Combine the eggless ricotta cheese filling.
Place the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, garlic, pecorino or parmesan, flour, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix until well combined.
3 – Stuff your cooked shells with the cheese filling.
To make this process less messy, try piping it in rather than stuffing it by hand. Scroll down to the quick tips for more details.
4 – Assemble & Bake
- Pour the marinara sauce on the bottom.
- Fill each shell with the ricotta mixture.
- Arrange shells in baking dishes.
- Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top, cover with foil, and bake!
Quick Tips for Eggless Ricotta Stuffed Shells
- A 12oz box of jumbo pasta shells contains approximately 25-30 shells, depending on the brand. Cook a couple of extra shells, just in case a few shells break or tear while the pasta cooks.
- Once shells are cooked to al dente, drain the hot water, then fill the pot with cold water. This stops the cooking process and keeps the pasta from sticking together.
- To easily stuff the cooked pasta shells, Place the cheese stuffing mixture in a large zip-top bag or a piping bag, cut the tip of the bag off, and then stuff the cheese into your shells — It couldn’t be easier or more mess-free!
- If desired, you can add spinach (about two cups) to the ricotta filling for some extra nutrition. See recipe notes for details.
- To save some time, you can use store-bought marinara sauce. But if you have a homemade sauce that your family loves, that works just as well!
Storing & Freezing Instructions
To store leftovers, tightly cover the shells in the refrigerator for up to three days.
To freeze, simply cook the shells and stuff them. Do not cover in marinara! Place the complete shells on a tray and freeze completely. Once completely frozen, place the shells in a large zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to two months. Don’t forget to label your freezer bag with the date you froze the shells and what is in it!
Ready to eat your frozen pasta shells? Add your marinara to a baking dish. Place the frozen shells on top and add more marinara sauce on top, if desired. Bake at 375º F covered with aluminum foil for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.
To reheat, warm small portions in the microwave or oven until roll-ups are heated through, and cheese is melty.
Frequently Asked Questions
My favorite egg-free pasta brands are 365 Whole Foods, Colavita and DeCecco. Walmart and Wegman’s brands generally do not contain eggs either; however, I highly recommend checking labels all the time because once in a while, they’re in a shared facility. For this recipe, I used Wegman’s Jumbo Pasta Shells.
I recommend using the microwave for a small portion, or the oven if you are reheating the whole casserole.
I like to serve this dish with a simple green salad with maple vinaigrette and homemade eggless dinner rolls.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Easy Eggless Meatloaf
- Easy Eggless Cheese Manicotti
- Eggless Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells
- BEST Eggless Italian Meatballs
- One-Pot Creamy Alfredo Pasta with Bacon and Peas
- Cheesy Gnocchi Casserole
- More easy dinner recipes…
Eggless Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Equipment
Ingredients
- 25 – 30 jumbo pasta shells (about 1 box of 12 oz – 340 g) (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 3 cups (26 oz – 750 g) whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 cups (228 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup (60 g) Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons (20 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3- 4 cups (about 700 g – 950 g) Marinara Sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Cook pasta shells according to package directions (do not overcook – cook just until al dente). Drain and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Set aside.
- Place the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, garlic, pecorino or parmesan, flour, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix until well combined.
- Pour the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Note: you can also add half of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the dish and the other half over the stuffed shells.
- Fill each shell with the ricotta mixture. Arrange shells in baking dishes. Sprinkle the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese on top.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Remove foil and broil for 2-4 minutes until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil to serve.
- A 12oz box of jumbo pasta shells contains approximately 25-30 shells, depending on the brand. Cook a couple of extra shells, just in case a few shells break or tear while the pasta cooks.
- Once shells are cooked to al dente, drain the hot water, then fill the pot with cold water. This stops the cooking process and keeps the pasta from sticking together.
- To easily stuff the cooked pasta shells, Place the cheese stuffing mixture in a large zip-top bag or a piping bag, cut the tip of the bag off, and then stuff the cheese into your shells — It couldn’t be easier or more mess-free!
- If desired, you can add spinach (about two cups) to the ricotta filling for some extra nutrition. See recipe notes for details.
- To save some time, you can use store-bought marinara sauce. But if you have a homemade sauce that your family loves, that works just as well!
