Authentic Italian Stuffed Shells

As an Italian, I can tell you that we take our authentic Italian stuffed shells recipe very serious. Really, any pasta dish we take seriously. Our recipes have been passed down from generation to generation and there are no cutting corners or changing brands…even if they are giving it away for free!

I was excited when asked to create a family recipe and partner with Barilla and Galbani because these are two brands you will find in our house on a regular basis. WHY? Because we know our pasta and cheese and it has to pass the Nonni test.

This recipe is actually very easy and only requires 7 ingredients. Depending how many people you’re feeding, you can have enough for three separate meals. Although stuffed shells is definitely one of our holiday courses, we also serve this for family dinners on any average day.

I wound up with the flu for Thanksgiving and after being laid up on the couch for over a week, it put me behind on decorating. I did what anyone would do and called the family to help. All I had to do was let them know I’d be serving stuffed shells for dinner and they all jumped on the invitation to come eat and help get my tree up.

Why these specific brands?

As I said, you don’t skimp on the quality of a product. We use Barilla and Galbani!

• Barilla believes what every Italian believes, pasta is perfect for any time of the year. You be very creative with pasta dishes and have a different meal every day. Pasta is a way to bring family and friends together around a table (with lots of smiles and laughs). Pasta is the perfect canvas for creating a nutritious meal.

 

• Galbani is a brand we use for our ricotta (ri-gawt) and our mozzarella (muzz). It’s very important to have the right cheese. You don’t want your ricotta to have too much water in it because it affects your end results. Galbani is smooth, creamy, and rich so it holds together when cooking. It’s made in true Italian style which gives you an authentic taste. Galbani also has 130 years of Italian craftsmanship and is the #1 brand in Italy. The Galbani mozzarella for shredding has a firm texture for smooth shredding and better melting. They also have a muzz for slicing which is great for Caprese!

The Recipe- Authentic Italian Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

-1 box Barilla Jumbo Shells
-1 Galbani Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese, 2lb
–Galbani Mozzarella (2- shredded)
–Homemade Italian Sauce
-Parsley (palm full or approx. 3 tbs)
-Eggs (2 large)
-Garlic Powder, 1 tsp

Directions

1. In large pot, add water (4-6 quarts) and 1 tbsp oil, 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil
2. Add Barilla Jumbo Shells to boiling water carefully not to crash shells into each other. Stir often to prevent sticking.
3. Bring back to boil and cook approx. 9-10 for true al dente pasta
4. In a large bowl combine Galbani ricotta, eggs, ½ of the Galbani shredded mozzarella, garlic powder, and parsley. Stir well

5. When pasta is cooked, GENTLY pour into a strainer and rinse with cool water. The cool water stops the pasta from becoming over cooked.

6. Cover bottom of tin pan with sauce. (I’m not a fan of glass pans because they tend to burn the bottom of the pasta

7.Take one jumbo shell, holding it open with two fingers (see photo) and using a spoon, stuff the ricotta mixture into shell

8. Place into pan, stuffed side open and close together

9. Repeat until all shells are used. You may need 2-3 tin pans.

10. Lightly cover in sauce

11. Top with the rest of the mozzarella

12. Bake on 350 for 45 minutes or until bubbly

Yield- approximately 40 stuffed shells

Tips:

• Any shells that break can still be eaten, just add a little sauce and have a snack!
• Once you cook the stuffed shells, they can be frozen for future dinners.
• If you decide ahead of time to freeze shells, once they’re stuffed, flash freeze them (NO SAUCE), place in freezer bag or container. Once you’re ready to eat them, simply thaw them out, add sauce, pop in pan, and cook!