Freezer Friendly Italian Stuffed Shells Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you freeze stuffed shells before or after cooking? ›

If you are following the make-ahead directions do not put the spaghetti sauce in the baking dish. Once the shells are stuffed place them on an ungreased baking sheet. Cover and place in the freezer. Once the stuffed shells are frozen, place them in a plastic freezer bag and seal the bag.

How to freeze stuffed pasta shells without the sauce. After boiling and stuffing your jumbo conchiglioni, space them out on a lined baking sheet before freezing to prevent them from clumping together or adhering to the base of the tray.

The pasta called conchiglioni, usually marketed as “jumbo shells” here in the US, are filled with a ricotta cream enriched with mozzarella, napped with a simple marinara sauce and topped with a generous sprinkling of Parmesan before being baked in a hot oven.

Like most leftovers, your stuffed shells should last for three to four days in a fridge set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower . If you can't eat the extra stuffed shells so soon, put them in the freezer set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit and they will stay fresh for four months.

Avoid anything with a gum listed—these gums bind water but release it as you heat the ricotta up. Straight out of its container, even good-quality ricotta can be too wet, which will result in a watery filling later.

Should you freeze stuffing before or after baking? The good news is that you can freeze stuffing either before and after cooking! It all just depends on your preferences.

Yes! Lasagna freezes and reheats beautifully, and doubling up requires minimal extra effort. Plus, because the flavors are given more time to come together, reheated lasagna actually tastes better than a slice fresh out of the oven. The layers of sauce prevent the lasagna from drying out when it's reheated.

Yes, you can freeze stuffed shells or similar pasta for future use. To thaw them, simply transfer them from the freezer to the refrigerator and let them thaw overnight. Once thawed, you can cook them as you normally would, following the original recipe instructions.

Although not ideal, cooked plain pasta and cooked pasta mixed with sauce may be stored in the freezer in Ziploc bags or freezer-safe container. Pasta with sauce should be reheated in the microwave and plain pasta tossed with extra-virgin olive oil should be reheated in a skillet with a little bit of water.

Conchiglie is a pasta variety that is shaped like a conch shell. The smallest shell shape is called conchigliette and the largest shell shape is called conchiglioni.

What is the difference between stuffed shells and manicotti? ›

Unlike the tubes of manicotti, the shells can hold an amount of stuffing equal to the size and shape of an egg. A cream or cheese sauce can coat these shells, as well as the meat, tomato, and vegetable sauces that also work well with manicotti.

Manicotti (the plural form of the Italian word manicotto; < manica, 'sleeve', + the augmentative ending, -otto) are a type of pasta in Italian-American cuisine. They are large pasta tubes intended to be stuffed and baked.

Stored properly, fresh ricotta will last in the freezer for one to three months. Once you thaw your cheese, it is not recommended to refreeze it. Since freezing it just once already causes the cheese to degrade somewhat, you can imagine what constant thawing and refreezing would do.

Yes! You can keep cooked pasta in the freezer for last-minute suppers.

Can you freeze ricotta cheese mixture? Yes! Say you've made a pasta filling with ricotta cheese and other ingredients like Parmesan cheese, eggs and herbs, it is perfectly fine to freeze it. On thawing, excess liquid may need to be drained away but otherwise it will be good.

This Unstuffed Shells Casserole is all the flavors of stuffed shells without all the work. This pasta can be made ahead of time and even frozen for an easy dinner. Great for feeding a crowd!

Making in Advance and Refrigerating

To store this (uncooked) stuffed shell recipe in the refrigerator, prepare according to recipe instructions then cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or foil. You may refrigerate for up to three days before baking according to recipe instructions.

The cooking time for frozen stuffed shells in the oven can vary depending on the recipe and the size of the shells. As a general guideline, bake them at 350°F (175°C) for about 45-60 minutes.