Creamy Seafood Stuffed Shells (Printable)
Jumbo pasta shells filled with shrimp, crab, cheeses, baked in a rich white sauce for a luscious meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 16 jumbo pasta shells
→ Seafood Filling
02 - 8 oz cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
03 - 4 oz lump crab meat
04 - 8 oz ricotta cheese
05 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
06 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1 egg, lightly beaten
08 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
09 - 2 tbsp chopped chives or green onions
10 - 1 clove garlic, minced
11 - ½ tsp salt
12 - ¼ tsp black pepper
13 - ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
→ Sauce
14 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
15 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
16 - 1½ cups whole milk
17 - ½ cup heavy cream
18 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
19 - 1 tsp lemon zest
20 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
21 - ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
22 - Salt and pepper to taste
→ Topping
23 - ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
24 - 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook jumbo pasta shells according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking process. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine shrimp, crab, ricotta, cream cheese, Parmesan, egg, parsley, chives, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Set aside.
04 - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to create a roux. Slowly whisk in milk and heavy cream until smooth and no lumps remain.
05 - Bring mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon (about 3–4 minutes). Stir in Parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.
06 - Spread one-third of the white sauce evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
07 - Fill each pasta shell with approximately 2 tablespoons of seafood mixture. Arrange stuffed shells in the baking dish, opening facing up, in a single layer.
08 - Pour remaining white sauce evenly over the stuffed shells. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and additional Parmesan cheese across the top.
09 - Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes until heated through and sauce is bubbly.
10 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra fresh parsley if desired.
# Cooking Tips:
01 -
- The creamy white sauce with lemon zest cuts through the richness, creating that perfect restaurant quality balance you crave
- Each shell becomes a tiny parcel of seafood bliss, with both shrimp and crab in every single bite
- These reheat beautifully for lunch the next day, if they last that long
02 -
- Overfilling the shells will make them burst during baking. Two tablespoons per shell is the sweet spot.
- The white sauce can seize if you add the milk too fast. Pour in a thin stream while whisking constantly.
- Lemon juice is not optional here. It cuts through the heavy cream and makes the seafood taste fresh.
03 -
- Pat your seafood dry with paper towels before mixing. Excess moisture makes the filling watery.
- Use a piping bag or zipper bag with the corner snipped off to fill shells neatly.