The Ultimate Creamy Seafood Stuffed Shells Recipe

Are you on the hunt for a dinner that feels truly special, yet doesn’t demand hours of complicated work in the kitchen? A dish that marries the comforting warmth of baked pasta with the refined flavours of the ocean? Your search ends here. We’re thrilled to share our definitive Creamy Seafood Stuffed Shells Recipe, a meal destined to wow your loved ones and earn a permanent spot in your culinary repertoire.

This dish is a delightful harmony of textures and tastes. Tender jumbo pasta shells are generously filled with succulent seafood, creamy ricotta, and molten mozzarella. The shells are then bathed in a velvety rosé sauce and baked to golden, bubbly perfection. It’s the ideal centrepiece for a special occasion, a cosy Sunday supper, or any evening you feel like indulging in something utterly delicious. Let’s begin creating this magnificent meal together.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Gourmet Taste, Effortless Preparation: We’ve broken this sophisticated dish down into simple, manageable instructions. You’ll achieve all the rich, decadent flavour of a restaurant-quality meal without any of the fuss.
• Universally Adored: The delightful trio of creamy cheese, flavourful seafood, and tender pasta is a combination that wins hearts every time. It’s a chic take on a classic comfort food that everyone will enjoy.
• Ideal for Advance Preparation: We know life can be hectic, which is why we adore a recipe that can be prepared ahead. You can assemble this dish a full day in advance and simply bake it when you’re ready to serve.
• Wonderfully Versatile: Can’t find scallops? Fancy using crab instead? This recipe is incredibly adaptable. We offer plenty of suggestions for substituting ingredients based on what you have available or what you prefer.
• A Feast for the Eyes: This meal isn’t just a treat for the palate; it’s also visually stunning. The sight of those golden-brown, cheese-topped shells bubbling in a rich sauce is enough to make anyone’s mouth water.

Ingredients

• 250g jumbo pasta shells
• 200g raw king prawns, peeled and roughly chopped
• 150g scallops, chopped (or use crab meat)
• 250g full-fat ricotta cheese
• 150g mozzarella cheese, grated, divided
• 50g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus extra for serving
• 1 large shallot, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, extra, thinly sliced
• 400g passata
• 100ml double cream
• 50ml dry white wine (optional, but recommended)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Crafting Your Creamy Seafood Stuffed Shells: A Step-by-Step Guide

We’ve structured this recipe to be as clear as possible. By preparing each component before bringing them all together for the final assembly, we can guarantee a flawless result. Let’s think of it as three distinct stages: cooking the pasta, making the filling, and preparing the sauce.

Step 1: Prepare the Pasta and Sauce

The success of any great pasta bake relies on perfectly cooked pasta and a deeply flavourful sauce. Let’s tackle these two elements first.

1. Cook the Shells: In a large pot of well-salted water, bring it to a rolling boil. Add your jumbo pasta shells and cook following the package instructions, but aim for the shorter end of the cooking time. They should be ‘al dente’, with a slight firmness, as they’ll soften further in the oven. Once done, drain them well and rinse under cold water to halt the cooking and prevent them from sticking. Set aside.
2. Start the Rosé Sauce: As the pasta is cooking, warm the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the extra sliced garlic and sauté for a minute or so until it becomes fragrant, taking care not to let it brown. If you’re using it, pour in the white wine and allow it to simmer for a minute to let the alcohol evaporate.
3. Finish the Sauce: Pour in the passata, season with salt and pepper, and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Lower the heat and let it bubble gently for about 5 minutes to allow the flavours to meld and the sauce to thicken slightly. To finish, stir through the double cream to achieve that beautiful, rich pink hue. Take it off the heat and set it aside.

Step 2: Create the Luscious Seafood Filling

This is where the dish truly comes to life. The filling is the heart and soul of our stuffed shells with seafood, uniting creamy cheeses and delicate seafood for an extraordinary flavour experience.

1. Combine the Cheeses and Aromatics: In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, half of the grated mozzarella, the grated Parmesan, the finely diced shallot, minced garlic, lemon zest, fresh parsley, and dill. Season it well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
2. Fold in the Seafood: Carefully add the chopped raw prawns and scallops to the cheese mixture. Gently fold them in, being mindful not to overmix – we want to maintain the texture of the seafood. It will cook to perfection inside the shells during the baking process.

Step 3: Assemble and Bake Your Masterpiece

It’s now time to unite all our delicious components into a stunning and mouth-watering seafood pasta bake. This is the truly satisfying part!

1. Prepare the Baking Dish: First, preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C Fan/Gas Mark 5). Ladle a thin layer of your rosé sauce onto the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish (or one of a similar size). This creates a base and prevents the pasta from sticking.
2. Stuff the Shells: With a small spoon, carefully fill each cooked pasta shell with a generous amount of the seafood and cheese filling. Be generous – you want each shell to be plump! Neatly arrange the filled shells in a single layer in the baking dish, right on top of the sauce.
3. Top and Bake: Pour the rest of the rosé sauce over and around the stuffed shells. Scatter the remaining grated mozzarella evenly across the top. This is what will give us those irresistible, gooey cheesy seafood shells that everyone loves.
4. Bake to Perfection: Transfer the dish to your preheated oven and bake for 25–30 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the sauce is bubbling merrily and the cheese topping is completely melted and a beautiful golden brown. For an extra crispy top, you can place it under the grill for the last couple of minutes, but keep a very close eye on it to avoid burning.

Tips, Tricks, and Tasty Variations

We want you to feel empowered to make this recipe your own. Below are some of our best tips and creative variations to help you craft the ideal baked pasta with seafood for any gathering.

• Seafood Swaps: This dish works beautifully with various other types of seafood. Consider using cooked flaked salmon, a firm white fish like cod or haddock, or even tinned crab meat (drained thoroughly). Just flake any pre-cooked fish and fold it in gently. For advice on making sustainable seafood choices, we suggest consulting resources like the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
• Make-Ahead Magic: To get ahead, you can assemble the entire dish up to 24 hours before you plan to serve it. Follow the steps right up to the point of baking, then cover it tightly with foil and pop it in the fridge. When ready to bake, you might need to add an extra 10–15 minutes to the cooking time from chilled.
• Serving Suggestions: As this dish is wonderfully rich, we find it pairs best with something light and fresh. A simple green salad tossed in a sharp vinaigrette or some steamed green beans make excellent accompaniments. A side of crusty garlic bread for soaking up every last drop of the amazing sauce is also a must! For another comforting baked dish idea, you could try this Low Carb Chicken Casserole.
• Add Some Veggies: For an extra nutrient boost, feel free to wilt a large handful of fresh spinach, squeeze out all the excess moisture, and stir it into the cheese filling. If you enjoy pasta dishes with a rich sauce, our Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe is another fantastic option to try.

FAQ

A Truly Unforgettable Meal

And there you have it—our complete guide to creating the most sensational Creamy Seafood Stuffed Shells Recipe. This dish is proof that you can produce a meal of pure elegance and profound satisfaction in your own home kitchen. It truly is a celebration of wonderful ingredients, perfectly blending the comfort of a pasta bake with the sophisticated taste of the sea.

We are so genuinely excited for you to give this recipe a go. It is the kind of meal that creates wonderful memories around the dinner table. So, gather your ingredients, pop on your favourite apron, and prepare to cook a dish that is sure to receive glowing reviews. Please do leave a comment below to tell us how yours turned out, or share a photo of your beautiful creation with us on social media!

Recipe Card

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 250g jumbo pasta shells
• 200g raw king prawns, peeled and roughly chopped
• 150g scallops, chopped
• 250g full-fat ricotta cheese
• 150g mozzarella cheese, grated, divided
• 50g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1 large shallot, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, extra, thinly sliced
• 400g passata
• 100ml double cream
• 50ml dry white wine (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C Fan). Cook jumbo shells al dente according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
2. While pasta cooks, make the sauce. In a saucepan, warm olive oil and sauté the sliced garlic until fragrant. Add white wine (if using) and simmer for a minute. Stir in passata, season, simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in the double cream.
3. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, half the mozzarella, Parmesan, shallot, minced garlic, lemon zest, parsley, and dill. Season with salt and pepper, then gently fold in the chopped raw prawns and scallops.
4. Spread a thin layer of sauce in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Carefully fill each cooked shell with the seafood mixture and arrange them in the dish.
5. Pour the remaining rosé sauce over and around the shells. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and golden brown. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 755 kcal, Carbs: 54 g, Protein: 46 g, Fat: 35 g