Christmas Stuffed Shells Recipe Pasta Dish
Our Best Christmas Stuffed Shells Recipe for a Memorable Festive Meal
Are you searching for a spectacular centrepiece for your Christmas table that offers a change from the traditional roast? Perhaps something that tastes divine but doesn’t keep you tied to the kitchen all day? We know exactly how you feel. The pressure to cook the perfect holiday meal can be immense, but we believe the best festivities happen when we can relax and cherish the time with our loved ones. That is why we have crafted the perfect Christmas Stuffed Shells Recipe, a dish that brings as much joy to prepare as it does to serve.
This wonderful meal is a delightful harmony of tastes and textures: soft pasta shells holding a creamy, herby filling of ricotta and spinach, baked in a luscious, homemade tomato sauce, and finished with a layer of melted, golden mozzarella. It’s the type of comforting, wholesome food that warms you right through, making it one of our top Christmas dinner ideas. Say goodbye to complicated schedules and last-minute stress; this is elegant comfort food at its most enjoyable.
Why You’ll Adore This Recipe
- Ideal for Preparing in Advance: The festive season is always a whirlwind! You can assemble this entire dish a day or two before you need it. Just cover it, pop it in the fridge, and bake it when you’re ready for a completely stress-free Christmas dinner.
- Visually Stunning and Festive: With the vibrant red of the tomato sauce and the flecks of green from the spinach and fresh herbs, this dish has a wonderfully festive appearance. It’s an impressive meal that looks incredible with surprisingly little fuss.
- Guaranteed to Delight Everyone: Who can resist a delicious baked pasta dish? The classic combination of creamy cheese, rich tomato sauce, and tender pasta is a firm favourite with all ages, from the fussiest little ones to grown-up gourmands.
- Wonderfully Versatile: While this recipe is a superb vegetarian main course, you can easily incorporate cooked Italian sausage or beef mince into the filling for any meat-eaters at your table. We also have some tips for changing the cheeses!
- Comforting and Wholesome: On a crisp winter’s day, nothing is more welcome than a warm, cheesy bake. It is the epitome of comfort food, providing a deeply satisfying and delicious meal that feels like a warm embrace.
What You’ll Need for This Recipe
- 500g jumbo pasta shells
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 800g passata or crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- A small handful of fresh basil, chopped
- 500g full-fat ricotta cheese
- 200g frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 150g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus extra for serving
- 1 large free-range egg, beaten
- A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 250g mozzarella cheese, grated
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Step-by-Step Guide to Your Christmas Stuffed Shells
We have broken this recipe down into simple, easy-to-follow stages. Join us as we create a dish that is sure to become a cherished festive tradition in your home.
1. Boil the Pasta Shells
To begin, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a vigorous boil. Add the jumbo pasta shells and cook them following the packet instructions, but ensure they are ‘al dente’—they need to retain a slight firmness. If they are overcooked, they become too delicate to stuff. After cooking, drain the shells thoroughly and rinse them under cold water to halt the cooking process. Arrange them on a baking tray lined with baking parchment to prevent them from sticking together.
2. Simmer the Tomato Sauce
While your pasta cooks, you can get on with the flavour-packed tomato sauce. In a large saucepan or casserole dish, warm the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5-7 minutes until it has softened and turned translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and continue to cook for another minute until it becomes fragrant.
Next, pour in the passata, sprinkle in the dried oregano, and season generously with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and let it bubble away for 15-20 minutes, which will allow the flavours to develop and deepen. For a truly superb sauce base, you could get some inspiration from guides on making a classic Italian tomato sauce, like this one from BBC Good Food. Stir the chopped fresh basil through the sauce just before you take it off the heat.
3. Mix the Creamy Spinach and Ricotta Filling
In a large mixing bowl, it is time to prepare the luscious filling. Combine the ricotta cheese, the well-squeezed spinach, about 100g of your grated Parmesan, the beaten egg, and a small pinch of nutmeg. This delightful combination is what makes these stuffed shells so delectable. Season generously with salt and pepper and mix until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated. The egg helps to bind the filling so that it holds its shape during baking.
4. Assemble the Stuffed Shells
Here comes the enjoyable part! Start by preheating your oven to 190°C (170°C Fan / Gas Mark 5). Take a large baking dish (a 9×13 inch dish is ideal) and spread about half of your tomato sauce over the bottom in an even layer.
Using a small spoon, or a piping bag for a neater finish, carefully fill each cooked pasta shell with the ricotta and spinach mixture. Be generous with the filling! Arrange the stuffed shells snugly in the baking dish over the sauce, with the filled side facing upwards.
Once all your shells are nestled in the dish, pour the rest of the tomato sauce over and around them. To finish, sprinkle the grated mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan cheese evenly across the top. This will create that irresistible golden, cheesy crust that everyone loves.
5. Bake Until Golden and Bubbly
Cover your baking dish with tin foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. After this time, remove the foil and continue to bake for a further 15-20 minutes. The dish is ready when the sauce is bubbling merrily and the cheese topping has melted into a golden-brown crust. Allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before you serve it, as this helps the shells to set slightly, making them easier to dish up.
Top Tips for the Perfect Pasta Recipe
To make sure your festive creation is an absolute success, we have put together a few of our very best hints and tips. This is more than just a pasta recipe; it is a meal for a celebration, and these pointers will help you get it just right.
A Stress-Free Christmas with Make-Ahead Magic
This dish is the perfect candidate for getting ahead. You can assemble the stuffed shells completely (right up to the baking stage), then cover the dish securely with foil and keep it in the fridge for up to 48 hours. When you are ready to bake, simply add an extra 10-15 minutes to the initial covered baking time to allow for it being chilled.
Tips for Mess-Free Stuffing
Although a spoon does the job, our secret for stuffing shells quickly and tidily is to use a piping bag. If you don’t have one, a sturdy food-safe bag with a corner snipped off works just as well. Just spoon the ricotta mixture into the bag and pipe it neatly into each shell. It is cleaner, quicker, and gives a more consistent filling.
What to Serve with Your Stuffed Shells
These Christmas stuffed shells are substantial enough to be a meal on their own, but they are also delicious when served with a simple, crisp green salad tossed in a light vinaigrette. Some warm, crusty garlic bread is also a must for soaking up every last bit of that wonderful sauce. For another Italian-style dish that shares similar flavours, you may also like this Bruschetta Chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start a New Holiday Tradition
And there you have it—a truly stunning, delicious, and deeply comforting dish that we are sure will become a new family favourite. This Christmas Stuffed Shells Recipe is proof that festive food doesn’t have to stick to tradition to be special. It’s a meal that brings everyone together around the table to share food that is full of flavour and made with love. If you are fond of pasta dishes with a creamy sauce, our Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe is another brilliant option for a cosy evening meal.
We truly hope you enjoy preparing and sharing this meal with your nearest and dearest this festive season. Let it be the star of a table filled with joy, laughter, and wonderful food. We encourage you to try this recipe for the holidays and would be delighted if you left a comment below to let us know how you got on!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 500g jumbo pasta shells
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 800g passata or crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- A small handful of fresh basil, chopped
- 500g full-fat ricotta cheese
- 200g frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 150g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus extra for serving
- 1 large free-range egg, beaten
- A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 250g mozzarella cheese, grated
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook jumbo pasta shells according to package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water to stop cooking, and set aside.
- To make the sauce, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion until soft (5-7 mins), then add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Pour in the passata, add oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, then stir in the fresh basil.
- In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, squeezed spinach, 100g of Parmesan, beaten egg, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to create the filling.
- Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C Fan). Spread half the tomato sauce in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Fill each pasta shell with the ricotta mixture and arrange them in the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells and top with the mozzarella and remaining Parmesan.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the cheese is golden and the sauce is bubbly. Rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
