How to Make Stuffed Jumbo Shells

Cook jumbo shells until they are not quite al dente, 10 - 12 minutes; they will continue to cook in the oven in the sauce, and if cooked to desired doneness initially, they will be overcooked when taken out of the oven. They also start to fall apart if overcooked.

A 12oz. box of Barilla Jumbo Shells contained 45 shells. Using the Cheese and Spinach filling, I filled 16 and baked them with sauce, I filled 16 more and froze them without sauce, and had 11 shells left over which I also froze. Two shells were torn and I disgarded them. I did tend to fill the shells a little full, otherwise I may have had enough filling.

Next time just use half a box of shells and 1/2 filling recipe.

Make the filling. These fillings make enough for a 12oz. box of shells. Popular fillings for shells made with Marinara Sauce are:

Cheese
Cheese and Spinach (or Escarole)
Ground Meat Filling.

Place some Marinara Sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan.

Using a spoon, fill cooked shells, one at a time; do not overfill. Place open side down on top of the sauce in baking dish. [Although this is how the recipe I have always used does it, it seems many recipes put the stuffed side up.] It would allow the shells to sit in more liquid and cook, but I am always afraid that the filling would dry out.

Cover the shells with more sauce. Be sure each shell has sauce covering it to prevent it from drying out. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees until heated through and the sauce bubbles, 20 - 30 minutes (larger pans of shells will take longer). Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden and the sauce around the edge has started to carmelize, 10 - 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

To Freeze: Once shells are stuffed, they can be frozen. You may choose to add your sauce to the shells at this point, but the sauce may become watery upon thawing. To freeze, place the shells on a lined baking sheet in the freezer just long enough for the outsides to harden slightly. This will prevent them from sticking together in the freezer. Then, place the shells nestled against each other in a hard-sided freezer container, or in the baking dish, you plan to use later. Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and then place the lid on top.

Other fillings and sauces for jumbo shells:

Chicken & Mushroom Filling (Parmesan Cream Sauce)
Pork-filled Manicotti Provençal Style (Marsala wine and a light tomato sauce)

Seafood Pastas

Salmon Cannelloni w/ Lemon Cream Sauce (made w/ crespelle, Italian crepes - can use jumbo shells instead)
Crab & Ricotta Cannelloni (can use jumbo shells in place of cannelloni)
*Maryland Crab Stuffed Shells