Ricotta and Zucchini Giant Stuffed Shells
These Ricotta and Zucchini Giant Stuffed Shells are so easy to prepare, can be made ahead of time, and just the perfect weeknights dinner for the whole family!
Ingredients
- 20 jumbo pasta shells
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 large zucchini, grated, squeezed of excess moisture (about 1 cup) *see notes
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- Salt and pepper
- 1–24 oz jar marinara
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- fresh basil, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease 9 x 14 inch baking dish.
- Cook pasta shells per instructions on package, drain, toss with butter or olive oil and set aside to cool.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine ricotta, zucchini, egg, parmesan, parsley, garlic, garlic powder, italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Spread 1 cup marinara along the bottom of the baking dish. Fill each shell with ricotta mixture and then arrange into prepared baking dish.
- Top prepared shells with remaining marinara and shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, uncover and broil an additional 3-4 minutes until cheese is bubbling and golden.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve!
Notes:
*Zucchini holds a lot of moisture, so it’s important to squeeze it out before adding to recipes like this. The easiest way to do this is to grate it then add to a dishtowel, wrap it around the zucchini and squeeze it out very well into the sink. You can also use a paper towel. however, a dish towel is much better.
