Ricotta stuffed shell pasta in pesto sauce
This ricotta stuffed shell pasta is prepped with cheese and a delicious pesto sauce for a wonderful dinner the whole family will love.
Ingredients
 | 200 g of large shell pasta of any type. Also known as conchiglie pasta. |
 | 4 tablespoons of grated hard cheese eg. parmesan, gruyere, emmental, etc. |
 | (Optional) 4-5 slices of prosciutto ham, chopped |
Pesto filling
 | 1/2 cup of pesto sauce – you can use any type of store-bought pesto sauce, or follow the recipe for my homemade pesto sauce here. |
 | 1 cup of any type of full or low-fat ricotta |
 | 1 raw egg |
 | 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder or flakes |
 | Salt and pepper |
How to make this ricotta stuffed shell pasta
- Cook the stuffed shell pasta in a large pot according to package instructions.
- Drain and cool the pasta until comfortable to handle.
- Mix the egg, ricotta, dried basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
- Fill each pasta shell with the ricotta mixture using a teaspoon, then arrange them in a casserole dish starting from the outside and working toward the center, slightly overlapping.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Drizzle pesto sauce lightly over the stuffed shells.
- Sprinkle grated cheese and optional chopped prosciutto on top.
- Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly golden.
- Serve warm.
If you want to transform your boring spaghetti routine into something tasty and filling, try this delicious ricotta stuffed pasta, make in a pesto sauce. It is a simple recipe bursting with flavor, that looks more complicated to make than it really is.
All it needs is a ricotta and egg sauce that can be prepared in 5 minutes or less, and a small teaspoon to fill in each of the large shells of pasta.
Now depending on how much of a hurry you are in, you can use storebought pasta, or use my homemade pesto sauce recipe.
I should mention that unlike my pink sauce recipe for stuffed shell pasta, I prefer to lightly drizzle the pesto over the pasta, rather than layer it at the bottom, as it can overwhelm the dish with too much pesto flavor. In this case, just a bit of pesto packs a whole lot of punch.
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Ricotta stuffed shell pasta in a pesto sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 200 g of large shell pasta conchiglie pasta
- 4 tablespoons of grated cheese eg. parmesan, gruyere, emmental, etc.
- 4-5 slices of chopped prosciutto ham (optional)
Pesto filling
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/2 cup pesto sauce
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot on the stove, cook the stuffed shell pasta according to package instructions.
- Once the pasta has finished cooking, drain the pasta and let it cool till it becomes comfortable to touch.
- In a small bowl, crack open the egg and mix with the ricotta cheese, dried basil, salt and pepper.
- Using a small teaspoon, put the ricotta mixture into each individual pasta shell and place in the casserole dish. Start on the outside arranging each stuffed pasta shell and head towards the center, with the stuffed pasta shells overlapping.
- Repeat for each pasta shell until the casserole dish is full.
- Preheat the oven at 375°F (190°C).
- Drizzle the pesto sauce (recipe here) lightly over the stuffed pasta shells
- Sprinkle the top layer with the grated cheese and optional chopped prosciutto ham.
- Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese on top looks cooked.
- Serve while warm.
Nutrition
Please note: We are not certified nutritionists and these estimates written and produced for entertainment purposes only.
What to serve with it?
You can serve this ricotta stuffed shell pasta in pesto sauce with a salad like this apple salad with feta, or a starter like tomato tartare.
How to store it?
If you do want to prepare this ricotta stuffed shell pesto pasta in advance, let it cool completely and place it in an airtight glass container. However, it is not a dish that freezes very well because the pasta gets soggy, so I don’t recommend it.
