If you love Olive Garden's Giant Cheese Stuffed Shells but wish you could recreate the famed stuffed shell recipe in the comfort of your own home (just like my Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup), you're in for a treat! Giant pasta shells stuffed with three kinds of cheese, on top of rich marinara and doused in creamy alfredo sauce — delicious!
Serve up with homemade Olive Garden garlic breadsticks, savory garlic monkey bread, air fryer garlic bread, or garlic dinner rolls, or even opt for homemade arrabbiata sauce for a spicy twist! If you are a fan of copycat pasta recipes, you'll want to try my roasted garlic and chicken farfalle - a Cheesecake Factory favorite.
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👩🏽🍳Why This Recipe Works
- Quick, Easy, Delicious: This shells recipe uses a few simple ingredients and is easy to prepare. The oven will do all the cooking for you! If you love simple oven pastas with a twist, you'll want to try these buffalo chicken lasagna rolls, Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells or Olive Garden five cheese ziti al forno next!
- Two Sauces, Twice as Tasty: Two is better than one! These giant cheese stuffed shells have two sauces: marinara and alfredo, making for a delicious and dynamic flavor profile.
- An Italian classic: As a meal commonly found in Italian restaurants, you bet that this Olive Garden pasta is an Italian staple! Stuffed pasta shells are a Sicilian culinary tradition that is still going strong. It's the main course that never disappoints!
🥘Ingredients
- Jumbo pasta shells - The bigger the pasta shells, the more creamy filling they can hold. Larger shells are easier to stuff, without messy spoons or fancy piping bags.
- Ricotta cheese - As the base of the filling, it's mild in flavor and holds its texture while still being deliciously creamy. Ricotta cheese absorbs any flavor you pair it with, making a delicious, blank canvas. Ricotta is also the base for this zucchini involtini recipe, which is equally as delicious.
- Mozzarella cheese - Mozzarella is a good melting cheese, which is what you will want for this recipe. It is also mild in flavor, so it is not overpowering as a filling.
- Provolone cheese - Another great melting cheese and has a slightly more distinct flavor than mozzarella.
- Italian seasoning - Italian seasoning is a mix of dried herbs that generally consist of oregano, basil, rosemary, and thyme.
- Alfredo sauce - Use a good quality alfredo sauce for this recipe. Jarred sauce saves time and makes this easier to make on a weeknight!
- Marinara sauce - A good quality jarred marinara sauce works well here and is a great quick and easy shortcut.
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
📖Substitutions
- Provolone cheese: You can use all mozzarella if you prefer.
- Italian seasoning: Don't have Italian seasoning? Use dry oregano instead!
- Fresh basil: If you have jarred basil pesto, feel free to use it in place of fresh pesto.
- Alfredo sauce: You can make homemade alfredo sauce with butter, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese.
- Marinara sauce: Try a homemade marinara or arrabbiata sauce!
🔪Variations
- Meat sauce - Elevate the texture and flavor of your giant cheese stuffed shells by adding Italian sausage, ground beef, or any other protein that can be cut small and stuffed into your shells! For even more meaty goodness, Oven Baked Mini Meatballs are a delicious addition.
- Spinach-filled - Want to add some greens to your cheese shells? Add spinach! The freshness of the spinach harmonizes perfectly with the flavors of this recipe.
- Make it lasagna - You can easily turn your giant cheese stuffed shells into a lasagna! Instead of filling your shells with cheese, simply layer your cheese with the lasagna noodles.
⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
Collecting all your ingredients - This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
Prep your breadcrumbs - Mix the seasoned breadcrumbs with olive oil, and set aside.
Boil a large pot of water over medium-high heat. Salt the water liberally once it has come to a boil. Next, boil the shells until slightly under al dente. Drain, and let cool.
While the pasta is cooling, add the ingredients for the filling into a large Ziploc freeze bag. Let all of the air out, and seal closed. Mix together the ingredients by massaging the bag, and snip off one corner with scissors. [photos 1&2]
Pipe the filling into the cooked jumbo shells, and close the pasta over the ricotta filling. [photo 3]
Pour the marinara sauce at the bottom of your individual baking dishes or one large baking dish. Arrange the stuffed shells into the baking dish. [photo 4]
Pour alfredo sauce over the top. Top with the remaining mozzarella and provolone cheese and seasoned breadcrumb mixture. [photo 5]
Bake the stuffed shells for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are toasted. Serve and enjoy! [photo 6]
💭 Expert Tips
Be sure to undercook your pasta a little bit! This will help the pasta stay sturdy while stuffing it with the cheese mixture. It will also prevent the pasta from falling apart.
Taste the filling for salt! Ricotta cheese can be on the bland side. I recommend tasting it before stuffing the pasta to make sure it is well seasoned!
🍽 Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead Instructions
- Cover the baking dish with foil after prepping the pasta.
- Place it in the refrigerator and bake within 3 to 5 days.
Storing Leftovers
- First, allow your shells to cool. Then transfer to an airtight container.
- The pasta will last in the fridge for about 3-5 days.
- To keep for longer, freeze the stuffed shells for up to 1 month.
⭐ Recipe FAQs
The largest shell shape is called conchiglioni which comes from the pasta variety, conchiglie. This type of pasta is shaped like a conch shell, explaining the origin of the name.
Yes! These pasta shells are vegetarian-friendly. They are stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella, and provolone cheese and covered with creamy alfredo and rich marinara. No meat here!
Cottage cheese, goat cheese, and queso fresco are great alternatives if you don't have any ricotta cheese. Cottage cheese has a mild taste similar to ricotta, goat cheese is rich and creamy, and queso fresco has a salty and milky flavor that works just as well!
📝More Pasta Recipes
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Giant Cheese Stuffed Shells {Olive Garden Copycat}
Equipment
Ingredients
- 20 Jumbo pasta shells
For Filling
- 2 ½ cups Ricotta cheese
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese - shredded and divided
- 1 cup Provolone cheese - shredded and divided
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese - finely grated
- 1 ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoon Fresh basil - finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon Sea salt
- 2 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 cups Alfredo sauce
- 2 cups Marinara sauce
For Topping
- ½ cup Seasoned breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup Olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Mix the seasoned breadcrumbs with olive oil, and set aside.¼ cup Olive oil, ½ cup Seasoned breadcrumbs
- Boil a large pot of water over medium-high heat. Salt the water liberally once it has come to a boil. Boil the shells until slightly under al dente. Drain, and let cool.20 Jumbo pasta shells
- While the pasta is cooling, add the ingredients for the filling into a large mixing bowl and combine well. Then transfer to a large Ziploc bag and snip off one corner with scissors.2 ½ cups Ricotta cheese, 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, 1 cup Provolone cheese, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, 1 ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, 2 tablespoon Fresh basil, 2 teaspoon Sea salt, 2 teaspoon Garlic powder, 2 teaspoon Onion powder
- Next, pipe the filling into the cooked jumbo shells. Pour the marinara sauce at the bottom of your individual baking dishes or one large baking dish. Arrange the stuffed shells into the baking dish and pour alfredo sauce over the top. Top with the remaining mozzarella and provolone cheese and seasoned breadcrumb mixture.2 cups Marinara sauce, 1 cups Alfredo sauce
- Bake the stuffed shells for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are toasted. Serve and enjoy!
✱Recipe Notes
- Be sure to undercook your pasta a little bit! This will help the pasta stay sturdy while you are stuffing it with the cheese mixture, and will prevent the pasta from falling apart.
- Taste the filling for salt! Ricotta cheese can be on the bland side. I recommend tasting it before stuffing the pasta, to make sure it is well seasoned!
Kimberly Auzenne
This sounds & looks delicious! Going to make it tonight, but subbing with frozen stuffed pasta shells & using jar sauces. I’m adding some Italian sausage crumbles on top of pasta under toppings from the 1# rolls in refrigerator section.
Kimberly Auzenne
Mine turned out delicious!
Sunena Anand
I am so happy to hear that, Kimberly! The additions sounded delicious 🙂