Olive Garden's Stuffed Shells are a hearty and filling dish filled with cheese and topped with sauce and mozzarella cheese. It's the perfect dish to warm you up on a cold day. You can make your own version of this dish at home with just a few simple ingredients.
If you're looking for an easy and delicious Italian dish to make for dinner tonight, look no further than this copycat Olive Garden Stuffed Shells Recipe. It's an easy recipe can be prepped ahead, made in just 40 minutes, and is delicious too!
Traditional stuffed shell recipes are often time-consuming and complicated. Who has time to spend hours in the kitchen making a complicated dish? Not me, that's for sure!
This olive garden copycat recipe is simple to follow and calls for ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry or can be easily found at your local grocery store. The best part is that this dish can be made ahead of time, so it's perfect for busy weeknights. So bring your favorite Italian restaurant home tonight with this delicious copycat olive garden pasta!
Simply assemble the giant shells and sauce, then bake when you're ready to eat. Serve with a side of garlic bread and a salad for a complete meal. Enjoy!
What You'll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and complete instructions.
- Jumbo pasta shells
- Ricotta cheese
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Garlic powder
- Garlic salt
- Spaghetti sauce
- Butter
- Italian style bread crumbs
- Heavy whipping cream
How to Make Olive Garden Stuffed Shells
Be sure to see the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.
Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Prepare an 8x8-inch baking dish by spraying it was nonstick cooking spray. Next, spread 1 cup of spaghetti sauce in the bottom. Set aside.
Assemble. Prepare shells by cooking them according to the package directions. Set aside and allow to cool. In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp garlic salt. Stuff cooled shells with cheese mixture and place them in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.
Cook. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 32 minutes. To prepare Alfredo sauce, place 7 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until butter is melted. Slowly pour in ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream, stirring continuously. Add 1 tsp garlic powder and ½ tsp garlic salt. Stir again. Add ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese and ½ cup grated parmesan Stir until smooth. Remove from heat.
Finish. When shells are cooked, drizzle Alfredo sauce over the top of the shells. Spoon remaining ½ cup spaghetti sauce over the top also. In a small bowl, melt 1 tbsp butter and stir in breadcrumbs. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top of the sauce. Broil uncovered for 2-3 minutes or until top begins to brown.
Tips for Success
Here's how to make sure your Olive Garden Stuffed Shells recipe turns out perfect!
Al dente. Make sure that you cook your shells until they are al dente. This will make them a lot easier to stuff, and they won't fall apart when you bake them.
Cheese mixture. Be sure to mix your cheese filling well so that it is evenly distributed.
Stuffing shells. I find it easiest to use a small spoon to stuff my shells. Just scoop up some of the cheese mixture and place it in the shell.
Alfredo sauce. The Alfredo sauce is what makes these Olive Garden Stuffed Shells so special. Be sure to follow the recipe closely so that your sauce turns out smooth and creamy.
Easy Sides for Pairing with Olive Garden Stuffed Shells
If you want to keep things super simple, pair your Olive Garden Stuffed Shells with steamed broccoli or a garden side salad. If you're up for putting in a little more effort, here are some easy side dish ideas that will go well with the flavors in this recipe:
- Garlic bread
- Caesar salad
- Minestrone soup
- Roasted vegetables
- Garlic mashed potatoes
Substitutions and Additions
If you do not have everything on hand needed for this recipe, here are some substitutions and additions that you can make:
Ricotta cheese. You could use cottage cheese in place of the ricotta cheese, but it will change the flavor and texture of the dish.
Spaghetti sauce. If you don't have spaghetti sauce on hand, you could use another pasta sauce like marinara or Alfredo.
Heavy whipping cream. If you don't have heavy whipping cream, you could use milk in its place. Just keep in mind that the sauce will be thinner and not as rich.
Cheeses. While I think this recipe is best with the four cheeses listed, you could use other varieties of cheeses such as romano cheeses or asiago.
If you want to add a bit extra to this dish, here are some ideas:
- Ground beef or Italian sausages for a meat sauce
- Peppers
- Olives
- Mushrooms
- Italian seasoning
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Olive Garden Stuffed Shells will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. Be sure to store them in an airtight container.
Simply place your stuffed shells in a baking dish and cover with foil to reheat. Bake at 350 degrees F until heated through. You may need to add some cool water to the dish if the shells seem dry.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
Yes! This recipe freezes well. Be sure to store your stuffed shells in an airtight container. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Place the frozen shells in a baking dish and cover with foil to reheat. Bake at 350 degrees F until heated through, about 45 minutes.
FAQ's
Stuffed shells and manicotti are both Italian dishes that feature stuffing a pasta shell with a cheese mixture. The big difference is that manicotti is usually made with a tube-shaped pasta., while stuffed shells are made with a shell-shaped pasta. Both dishes are typically baked in a rich tomato or marinara sauce.
Stuffed shells are made of a shell-shaped pasta that is stuffed with a cheese mixture and then baked in a tomato or marinara sauce. The cheese mixture usually includes ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.
The traditional Olive Garden recipe for stuffed shells includes five shells filled with four types of cheeses and is topped with marinara, creamy alfredo sauce, and toasted crunchy breadcrumbs. This dish contains about 1210 calories.
In Olive Garden's traditional stuffed shells recipe, you'll find full-fat ricotta cheese, an Italian cheese blend including shredded cheese and heavy cream.
More Recipes
- One Pot Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
- Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Panera Tortellini Alfredo
- Instant Pot Chili Mac
Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and I'd love to hear from you in the comments below.
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Olive Garden Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 15 jumbo shells
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt, divided
- 1 ½ cups spaghetti sauce (we like Rao's)
- ½ cup salted butter, divided
- ¼ cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare an 8x8-inch baking dish by spraying it was nonstick cooking spray. Next, spread 1cup of spaghetti sauce in the bottom Set aside.
- Prepare shells by cooking them according to the package directions. Set aside and allow tocool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 cupgrated parmesan cheese, 1 tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp garlic salt.
- Stuffcooled shells with cheese mixture and place them in the prepared baking dish.
- Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 32 minute.
- To prepare Alfredo sauce, place 7 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook untilbutter is melted.
- Slowly pour in ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream, stirring continuously.
- Add 1 tsp garlic powder and ½ tsp garlic salt. Stir again.
- Add ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese and ½ cup grated parmesan Stir until smooth.Remove from heat.
- When shells are cooked, drizzle Alfredo sauce over top of shells.
- Spoon remaining ½ cup spaghetti sauce over top also.
- In a small bowl, melt 1 tbsp butter and stir in breadcrumbs. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over top.
- Broil uncovered for 2-3 minutes or until top begins to brown.
Notes
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, simply place your stuffed shells in a baking dish and cover with foil to reheat. Bake at 350 degrees F until heated through. You may need to add some cool water to the dish if the shells seem dry.
- Freezing: This recipe freezes well. Be sure to store your stuffed shells in an airtight container. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place the frozen shells in a baking dish and cover with foil to reheat. Bake at 350 degrees F until heated through, about 45 minutes.
- Ricotta cheese: You could use cottage cheese in place of the ricotta cheese, but it will change the flavor and texture of the dish.
- Heavy whipping cream. If you don't have heavy whipping cream, you could use milk in its place. Just keep in mind that the sauce will be thinner and not as rich.
- Cheeses. While I think this recipe is best with the four cheeses listed, you could use other varieties of cheeses such as romano cheeses or asiago.
- Additions: If you want to add something more to this dish, considering adding cooked ground beef or Italian sausage, peppers, olives, mushrooms, or Italian seasoning to the filling mixture.
Dannii
These were really delicious and comforting and my kids loved them too.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
Haven't made stuffed shells for ages and this recipe looks so delicious. On my list for this week.
Claudia Lamascolo
This is great since we never go out anymore and these our a family favorite thanks for duplicating a perfect replica of them!
Amy Nash
We've stopped going out less and less too. It's so expensive!
Suja MD
Every bite does indeed look amazing! All of the flavors are incredible. And I love these vibrant colors.
Kathleen
This simple and easy copy cat stuffed shell recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal. My family is going to love this!