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Walnut and Ricotta Stuffed Shells – vegetarian recipe
Stav Kogan

Walnut and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Tender jumbo shells cradle a ridiculously creamy, cheesy filling with the surprising, delightful crunch of toasted walnuts. Smothered in a rich tomato sauce and baked to bubbly perfection, this is the ultimate vegetarian comfort food.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6 serving
Calories: 549
Ingredients Method Nutrition

Ingredients
  

  • 24 dried jumbo pasta shells
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 15 ounces (425 g / 15 oz) whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) / 170g (6 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) / 113g (4 oz) shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1 cup (120 g / 4.2 oz) chopped walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 0.5 fl oz) fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon (10 ml / 0.3 fl oz) salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon (20 ml / 0.7 fl oz) ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon (40 ml / 1.4 fl oz) ground nutmeg
  • 26 ounces (737 g / 26 oz) jarred marinara sauce, or your favorite homemade sauce
  • For a deeper, nuttier flavor, toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until fragrant before chopping and adding them to the filling.
  • To make filling the shells faster and less messy, transfer the ricotta mixture to a large piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.
  • This dish is perfect for making ahead! Assemble the shells completely, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. You may need to add 10-15 minutes to the baking time when cooking from cold.

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C.
  2. Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to package directions until al dente.
  3. Drain the shells and immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
  4. Drain well again and set aside. 2.
  5. While the pasta cooks, prepare the filling.
  6. In a large bowl, combine the lightly beaten eggs, ricotta cheese, 1 cup / 113g (4 oz) of the mozzarella cheese, 3/4 cup / 85g (3 oz) of the Parmesan cheese, the chopped walnuts, fresh parsley, salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg.
  7. Mix until everything is well combined. 3. Assemble the dish.
  8. Spread 1 cup (240 ml) of the marinara sauce evenly across the bottom of a 3-quart / 9x13-inch rectangular baking dish. Carefully spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon of the ricotta filling into each cooked pasta shell.
  9. Arrange the filled shells in a single layer in the baking dish, filling-side up. 4. Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the top of the filled shells, covering them as evenly as possible.
  10. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup / 57g (2.01 oz) mozzarella and 1/4 cup / 28g (0.99 oz) Parmesan cheese over the top. 5.
  11. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the shells are heated through.
  12. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 549kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 30gFat: 32g

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