Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Stuffed Shells

October 27, 2019

Creamy roasted red pepper stuffed shells are stuffed with sauteed roasted red peppers, onion, garlic, and ricotta and then topped with a roasted red pepper sauce and baked. It’s ooey gooey and perfect with a big sprinkle of crushed red pepper on top.

Roasted Red Pepper Stuffed Shells | Sarcastic Cooking

My mom makes a classic stuffed shell recipe every holiday. You know the one with ricotta and spinach? That’s the one. This was never a weeknight meal kinda thing. I always wondered why until I made them for my family a few times.

Stuffed shells are like lasagna. It’s a production. The filling and the layers are the reason my Mom didn’t make this save for holiday dinners. I get it now.

Trying to make the filling for stuffed shells while wrangling kids and then waiting for them to bake is not the ideal weeknight crunch time dinner. It makes me sad though, because they are so good.

Roasted Red Pepper Stuffed Shell Assembly | Sarcastic Cooking

These creamy roasted red pepper stuffed shells are filled with only jarred roasted red peppers, onion, garlic, and a ricotta and mozzarella egg mixture. There aren’t a lot of ingredients but the flavor and the creaminess is to die for in this dish.

It makes me want to make this more than once a week.

Which reminds me, here is a pro tip when making stuffed shells. Break the recipe in half. Put half in one pan and half in another. Bake both dishes at the same time. Eat one dish for dinner and freeze the other dish of stuffed shells for a rainy day.

Red Pepper Stuffed Shells | Sarcastic Cooking

That way you don’t have to do the weeknight hustle and spend a long time making dinner. You can have roasted red pepper stuffed shells every night of the week! Salad on the side too for good health, right?

Roasted Red Pepper Stuffed Shells | Sarcastic Cooking

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Stuffed Shells

Yield: Serves 4-6 (makes about 18-20 shells)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Baked shells stuffed with roasted red peppers, onion, garlic, herbs, mozzarella, and ricotta cheese.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2, 14.5 oz Jars Roasted Red Peppers, drained and chopped
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 lb Jumbo Pasta Shells
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 15 oz whole milk ricotta
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium. Add olive oil, swirl to coat. Allow the oil to heat for a minute.
  2. Add the onions and red pepper to the pan and cook until the onion is translucent. Mix the garlic, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and oregano to the skillet. Mix to combine. Cook 2 more minutes.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool.
  4. While the mixture cools, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until tender. Drain and set off to the side.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  6. Add half the sauteed mixture to a food processor or blender. Add the milk along with another pinch of salt. Puree until smooth to make the sauce for the shells.
  7. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, 1/4 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup shredded parmesan, and the remaining red pepper onion mixture.
  8. Pour a cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 7x11-inch-baking dish. Stuff each cooked shell with a heaping tablespoonful of the filling. Arrange filled shells in the baking dish filled side up. Once all the filling is used up and the shells are filled, pour a small amount over the filled shells. Top with remaining cheese.
  9. Bake shells for 30 minutes uncovered until golden, crispy, and gooey.

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