Creamy Seafood Stuffed Shells (Printable version)
Pasta shells filled with shrimp, crab, and creamy cheeses baked in a luscious white sauce.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 16 jumbo pasta shells
→ Seafood Filling
02 - 8 oz cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
03 - 4 oz lump crab meat
04 - 8 oz ricotta cheese
05 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
06 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1 egg, lightly beaten
08 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
09 - 2 tbsp chopped chives or green onions
10 - 1 clove garlic, minced
11 - ½ tsp salt
12 - ¼ tsp black pepper
13 - ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
→ Sauce
14 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
15 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
16 - 1½ cups whole milk
17 - ½ cup heavy cream
18 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
19 - 1 tsp lemon zest
20 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
21 - ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
22 - Salt and pepper to taste
→ Topping
23 - ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
24 - 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
# How to Prepare:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Boil jumbo pasta shells in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking process. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, combine shrimp, crab, ricotta, cream cheese, Parmesan, egg, parsley, chives, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix thoroughly until uniformly combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
04 - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux, stirring constantly to prevent browning.
05 - Slowly whisk in whole milk and heavy cream until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, approximately 3-4 minutes.
06 - Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until cheese melts completely.
07 - Spread one-third of the white sauce evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
08 - Stuff each pasta shell with approximately 2 tablespoons of the seafood mixture. Arrange filled shells open side up in rows within the baking dish.
09 - Pour the remaining white sauce evenly over the stuffed shells, ensuring each shell is coated. Sprinkle mozzarella and additional Parmesan cheese across the top.
10 - Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes until heated through and sauce bubbles around edges.
11 - Remove foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
12 - Let stuffed shells rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow filling to set. Garnish with additional fresh parsley if desired.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- The combination of shrimp and crab in every bite feels like restaurant quality dining at home
- This make ahead dish actually tastes better when assembled the night before
02 -
- Overfilling the shells makes them split open during baking
- The sauce thickens as it bakes, so keep it slightly loose in the pan
03 -
- Rinse shells under cold water immediately after draining
- Use a piping bag for the neatest filling experience