Description
Seafood Stuffed Shells is a decadent and comforting Italian-American dish that combines jumbo pasta shells filled with a savory mixture of shrimp, crab meat, cream cheese, and herbs. Baked under a creamy homemade white sauce and topped with buttery breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, these stuffed shells are perfect for a special family dinner or entertaining guests.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Pasta and Filling
- 24 jumbo pasta shells
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- ½ onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz. raw peeled and deveined shrimp, chopped
- 18 oz. lump crab meat
- ½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
For the Sauce
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- ½ tsp salt
- pinch pepper
- pinch garlic powder
- 1½ cups milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
Topping
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- Additional chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Boil the jumbo pasta shells according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and spread them out on a layer of paper towels to dry and prevent sticking.
- Cook Onion and Garlic: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion with a sprinkle of salt and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Cook Seafood: Add chopped shrimp and lump crab meat to the skillet. Sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp turns pink and the seafood is heated through, stirring occasionally.
- Prepare Filling: Transfer the seafood mixture to a large mixing bowl. Stir in lemon juice, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley until well combined and creamy.
- Make Sauce: In a saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for about 1 minute until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Gradually whisk in milk and heavy cream, continuing to stir until the sauce thickens, about 3-4 minutes.
- Assemble Casserole: Grease a casserole dish and pour ½ cup of the white sauce on the bottom. Scoop the seafood filling into each cooked pasta shell and arrange the stuffed shells in the casserole.
- Top with Sauce and Breadcrumbs: Pour the remaining white sauce evenly over the stuffed shells. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs with melted butter. Sprinkle the buttered breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese over the top of the shells.
- Bake: Bake the casserole at 375°F for 25 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from the oven and sprinkle additional chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese over the shells just before serving.
Notes
- Be careful not to overcook the shrimp to avoid a rubbery texture.
- For a lighter version, you can substitute half-and-half for heavy cream.
- To save time, you can prepare the filling a day ahead and assemble before baking.
- Make sure the pasta shells are completely dry before stuffing to prevent sogginess.
- Old Bay seasoning adds a classic seafood flavor but can be substituted with Cajun seasoning if preferred.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Keywords: seafood stuffed shells, stuffed pasta shells, shrimp and crab pasta, baked stuffed shells, creamy seafood pasta
