Copycat Olive Garden Giant Cheese Stuffed Shells
Enjoy these huge Olive Garden copycat cheese stuffed shells any day of the week with a salad, which takes less than 1 hour to make from start to finish and tastes just like the real thing!
Ingredients
- 12 jumbo pasta shells about ⅓ of a standard package
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 12 oz. marinara sauce ½ of a standard jar
- 16 oz. ricotta
- ⅔ cup parmesan cheese divided
- ⅓ cup grated provolone
- ½ cup grated mozzarella
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese sliced and softened
- 1 cup half ‘n’ half or light cream
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stovetop and cook the jumbo pasta shells according to package instructions.
- Melt one tablespoon of butter and stir it into the breadcrumbs until they are evenly moistened. Spread breadcrumbs on a small baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes until toasted.
- In a bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, ⅓ cup provolone, ½ cup mozzarella, ½ teaspoon black pepper and the egg. Mix until combined. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the remaining butter (4 tablespoons). Saute the minced garlic in the butter 1–2 minutes until fragrant and slightly golden. Add the cream cheese to the skillet and whisk until combined (mixture will be lumpy).
- While whisking, add the cream to the skillet, cooking and whisking until smooth. Add in the remaining parmesan cheese, whisking until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Remove from heat.
- Assemble shells by pouring the marinara sauce into a baking dish. Stuff each pasta shell with the ricotta mixture then arrange stuffed shells on top of the marinara sauce.
- Drizzle the Alfredo sauce over the shells. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese filling is heated through.
- Garnish with toasted breadcrumbs and finely minced parsley.
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Notes
Notes:
Serving size is 3 stuffed shells per person. These are stuffed nice and full. You could use additional shells and spread the stuffing mixture between them to make the ingredients go further. Substitute store bought alfredo sauce if you wish. The buttery toasted panko breadcrumbs add nice crunch and flavor to the finished dish.
Serving size is 3 stuffed shells per person. These are stuffed nice and full. You could use additional shells and spread the stuffing mixture between them to make the ingredients go further. Substitute store bought alfredo sauce if you wish. The buttery toasted panko breadcrumbs add nice crunch and flavor to the finished dish.
Nutrition
Calories: 703kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 205mg | Sodium: 1198mg | Potassium: 545mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2149IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 784mg | Iron: 2mg
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