Indulge in the ultimate comfort food experience with these mouthwatering stuffed pasta shells. Imagine giant pasta shells, perfectly al dente, overflowing with a rich, creamy blend of cheeses, fragrant basil, and pungent garlic. These delectable parcels are then nestled in a hearty, flavorful vegetarian bolognese sauce and baked to golden, bubbly perfection. This dish is not just a meal; it’s a warm embrace on a chilly evening, a perfect centerpiece for a family dinner, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that promises to satisfy every palate.

Stuffed Pasta Shells Bake: A Vegetarian Bolognese Delight

When it comes to pure, unadulterated comfort, few dishes rival a perfectly executed pasta bake. There’s something inherently satisfying about a dish that combines tender pasta, rich sauce, and melted cheese, all baked together in one glorious pan. Our recipe for Stuffed Pasta Shells with Vegetarian Bolognese takes this concept to new heights, offering a depth of flavor and texture that will make it an instant family favorite. This dish isn’t just easy and quick to prepare; it’s also incredibly budget-friendly and absolutely packed with deliciousness, making it ideal for sharing with your loved ones on any occasion.

Why Stuffed Pasta Shells are the Ultimate Comfort Food

As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp, the craving for warm, hearty, and satisfying meals becomes undeniable. For many, pasta is the quintessential cozy dish, a culinary hug that warms from the inside out. While pasta is a year-round staple in our kitchen, there’s a special magic in a baked pasta dish during cooler months. Stuffed pasta shells, specifically the large conchiglioni, are perfect for this purpose. Their generous size allows them to be generously filled with a creamy, flavorful mixture, creating delightful individual pockets of deliciousness that are a joy to eat.

This particular bake offers a harmonious blend of textures and tastes. The tender pasta shells provide the perfect casing, while the creamy cheese filling, infused with fresh basil and garlic, melts into a gooey, aromatic core. Beneath these stuffed wonders lies a robust vegetarian bolognese, simmered to perfection, offering a rich, savory foundation that ties the entire dish together. The act of baking brings all these elements into a beautiful synergy, resulting in a golden, bubbling top and an irresistible aroma that fills your kitchen.

Versatile Options for Your Stuffed Pasta Bake

One of the best aspects of this stuffed pasta shells recipe is its adaptability. You don’t need any complicated or expensive ingredients to create this incredibly delicious meal. The core components are simple yet incredibly effective: large pasta shells, a creamy cheese mixture, and a rich bolognese sauce. The cheese filling is a delightful combination of creamy mascarpone and melt-in-your-mouth mozzarella, brightened with fresh basil and a hint of garlic. These stuffed shells are then lovingly nestled into a deeply flavorful, veggie-packed bolognese and baked in the oven until perfectly tender and golden.

Customizing Your Bolognese

While this recipe champions a vegetarian bolognese, it’s easily customizable to suit your preferences or dietary needs:

• Classic Meat Bolognese: If you prefer a traditional approach, feel free to use lean mince meat instead of the Quorn. Brown it thoroughly after sautéing the soffritto, then proceed with the recipe as directed.
• Plant-Based Alternatives: For a completely plant-based or vegan option, the recipe includes Quorn mince. If Quorn isn’t available, a fantastic alternative is a mixture of finely diced mixed mushrooms and a can of cooked green lentils. These ingredients add wonderful texture and absorb the flavors of the sauce beautifully. Simply sauté the mushrooms until they release their moisture and then add the drained lentils with the rest of the bolognese ingredients. Allow it to simmer for at least an hour to develop rich flavors before assembling the dish.
• Cheese Swaps: The cheese filling can also be adapted. If you’re looking for vegetarian cheese options, many brands offer mascarpone and mozzarella made with vegetarian rennet. For a dairy-free version, simply swap out the mascarpone and mozzarella for your favorite plant-based cream cheese alternatives and vegan shredded mozzarella. Ensure your parmesan topping is also a vegetarian or vegan variety if you opt for one.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with other vegetables in your bolognese, such as bell peppers, zucchini, or spinach, to boost the nutritional value and add more layers of flavor. The beauty of a dish like this lies in its flexibility.

How to Prepare Stuffed Pasta Shells Bake: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating this magnificent dish is a surprisingly straightforward process, typically broken down into two main stages: preparing the flavorful bolognese and getting the pasta shells ready for their delicious filling. Let’s dive into the details to ensure your bake turns out perfect every time.

Crafting Your Rich Bolognese Sauce

The foundation of this dish is a deeply savory bolognese. Start by heating olive oil in a wide, ovenproof dish – this way, you can build the sauce and bake the pasta all in one pan, minimizing washing up. Begin by sautéing your soffritto, a classic Italian aromatic base of finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Cook these vegetables gently over medium heat for about 20 minutes until they are beautifully softened and translucent, releasing their sweet essence. This step is crucial for building a complex flavor profile for your sauce.

Next, add your chosen protein – whether it’s Quorn mince, traditional ground meat, or the mushroom and lentil blend. Fry for 5-8 minutes, stirring regularly, until it’s lightly browned. This step helps to develop a savory depth. Then, introduce the crushed garlic, stirring for just a minute until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with red wine or vegetable stock, scraping up any delicious browned bits from the bottom. Finally, stir in the tomato puree, bay leaves, and canned chopped tomatoes, along with a canful of water to achieve the right consistency. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and let it cook for at least an hour. This extended simmering time allows the tomatoes to break down fully, the flavors to meld, and the sauce to thicken beautifully. Season generously with salt, pepper, a small pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, and a touch of balsamic vinegar for an extra layer of complexity.

Preparing and Stuffing the Giant Pasta Shells

While your bolognese is simmering, prepare your giant pasta shells (conchiglioni). Instead of boiling them conventionally, which can make them too soft and difficult to stuff, we’ll use a gentler method. Tip the pasta shells into a large, heatproof bowl, add a pinch of salt, and pour over a kettle of freshly boiled water. Cover the bowl and let the shells soften for approximately 15 minutes. The goal here is to partially cook them – they need to retain some firmness, an al dente bite, so they can hold their shape and be easily filled without tearing. They will finish cooking in the oven, absorbing all the wonderful flavors of the sauce.

Once the pasta has softened, preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Drain the pasta shells thoroughly. In a separate medium bowl, combine the mascarpone and finely chopped mozzarella. Add the freshly chopped basil and crushed garlic, along with a pinch of black pepper. Mash these ingredients together until well combined and creamy. The bolognese should now be ready; remove it from the heat. Don’t worry if the sauce appears a bit wetter than you might typically prefer for a pasta sauce. The pasta shells will readily absorb this liquid as they bake in the oven, ensuring a perfectly moist and flavorful outcome.

Now comes the fun part: stuffing the shells! Using a teaspoon, carefully fill each pasta shell with the creamy cheese mixture. Gently press the filling into the shell with your index finger to ensure it’s packed nicely. Once filled, arrange the shells into the bolognese sauce in your ovenproof pan, making sure the filled side faces up. This allows the cheese to melt beautifully and turn golden. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the top is gloriously golden and bubbling, and the pasta is perfectly tender. The aroma filling your kitchen will be incredible!

For an extra flourish, you can grate some Parmesan cheese (or a vegetarian alternative) over the finished dish just before serving. A few fresh basil leaves scattered on top will add a vibrant pop of color and freshness. Serve this hearty bake with a simple green salad and some crusty bread to soak up all that delicious sauce.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

This stuffed pasta shells bake is an excellent candidate for meal prep, making weeknight dinners a breeze. You can prepare the bolognese sauce in advance. Simply cook it as normal, allow it to cool completely, and then transfer it into an airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, just take it out of the freezer and let it defrost overnight in your fridge, then gently reheat on the stove before assembling your bake.

You can also assemble the entire dish ahead of time, before baking. Follow all the steps up to arranging the stuffed shells in the sauce. Cover the ovenproof dish tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, remove it from the fridge 30 minutes before baking to allow it to come closer to room temperature, then bake as directed, adding an extra 10-15 minutes to the baking time if it’s still cold from the fridge.

To freeze the assembled but unbaked dish, cover it tightly with several layers of foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking. This makes it a perfect dish to prepare for busy periods or to give to friends and family.

More Pasta Inspiration from Our Kitchen

If you’ve thoroughly enjoyed this comforting pasta bake, you’ll be delighted to explore some of our other cherished pasta recipes:

• Bucatini Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Basil: A vibrant and fresh dish that celebrates the simple beauty of ripe tomatoes and aromatic basil.
• Pesto Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes: Quick, easy, and bursting with flavor, this recipe is perfect for a fast weeknight meal.
• Lemon Pappardelle with Basil and Kale Pesto: A bright and zesty pasta dish that’s both refreshing and satisfying, featuring a homemade green pesto.

We truly hope you’ll love making and sharing this Stuffed Pasta Shells Bake as much as we do. Your feedback is invaluable, so please feel free to leave a comment and a rating if you try this recipe!

Connect with us and share your culinary creations! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more recipes and inspiration.

Stay warm and happy cooking!

📖 Recipe: Stuffed Pasta Shells Bake

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Stuffed Pasta Shells Bake

The ultimate comfort food – stuffed pasta shells with veggie bolognese bake!

Prep Time
30 mins

Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins

Course:
Main Course

Cuisine:
Italian

Keyword:
bolognese, comfort food, pasta bake

Servings:

6
people

Author:
Anna (adapted from BBC Good Food)

Equipment

• wide ovenproof pan

Ingredients

• 250 g large pasta shells
• 200 g mascarpone
• 250 g balls mozzarella drained and finely chopped
• 1 large bunch of fresh basil roughly chopped, plus few leaves to serve
• 3 medium garlic cloves crushed
• 2 tablespoon parmesan (optional)

For the bolognese

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion finely sliced
• 1 medium celery stick finely diced
• 1 large carrot finely diced
• 400 g Quorn mince see notes for options
• 2 medium garlic cloves crushed
• 250 ml red wine or vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• 3 small bay leaves
• 800 g cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 small pinch of sugar
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. To make bolognese, heat the oil in a wide, ovenproof pan over a medium heat. Fry the onion, celery and carrot with some seasoning for 20 minutes until soft.
2. Add Quorn (or mince, or mushrooms and lentils mix) and fry, stirring regularly, for 5-8 minutes. Add garlic, wine or vegetable stock, tomato puree, bay leaves and canned tomatoes with a canful of water. Simmer for an hour, until tomatoes have broken down. Season with salt, pepper, sugar and balsamic vinegar.
3. Tip the pasta shells into a large, heatproof bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pour over a kettle of boiled water. Cover and leave to soften for 15 minutes. The shells need to retain some of their firmness so you can fill them up.
4. Heat the oven to 200°C /180°C fan and drain the pasta. In a medium bowl, mash together the cheeses, chopped basil, garlic and a pinch of black pepper. Bolognese should be ready now, remove it from the heat. Don’t worry if it looks a bit wetter than you’d like. The pasta shells will absorb the liquid as they bake.
5. Using a teaspoon, fill the pasta shells with cheese mixture, pressing it gently with your index finger. Nestle the shells into the sauce, filled side up. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling and the pasta is tender. Grate some parmesan over the finished dish and add some basil leaves on top. Enjoy!

Please note that all my recipes are developed and tested in metric grams. I recommend that you use digital scales for more accurate results. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.

Notes

You can use Quorn (meat substitute) or mince meat in your bolognese sauce.

If you don’t have access to Quorn, use diced mixed mushrooms and a can of cooked, green lentils.

Cheeses can easily be swapped for their vegetarian or vegan versions.

You can halve this recipe to make it for 2-3 people.

Did you make this?
Tell me how you like it? Leave a comment or take a picture and tag @anna_wierzbinska on Instagram. I love seeing your take on my recipes!