Description
Creamy Seafood Stuffed Shells combine tender jumbo pasta shells filled with a luscious seafood mixture of shrimp, lobster, crab, cream cheese, and spinach, all baked in a rich, creamy Parmesan sauce. This elegant yet comforting dish is perfect for seafood lovers looking for a gourmet meal that’s easy to prepare at home.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Pasta Sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter (divided: 1 tablespoon and 1/2 tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio recommended)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Shells and Filling
- 20 jumbo pasta shells (12oz package)
- 8 oz raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, chopped into 1/2-1 inch chunks
- 8 oz lobster meat
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 8 oz lump crab meat
- 2 cups finely chopped fresh spinach (or thawed and drained frozen spinach)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (divided into 1/2 cup portions)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Foil for baking
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it reaches the proper temperature while you prepare the dish.
- Cook Pasta Shells: Boil the jumbo pasta shells according to package instructions but remove them 1-2 minutes before the minimum recommended time to keep them al dente. Immediately cool them in cold water to stop cooking and prevent sticking.
- Prepare Cream Sauce: In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and whisk in the flour until it thickens. Gradually add heavy cream, almond milk, and white wine, stirring continuously. Add minced garlic, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Stir until smooth and set the sauce aside.
- Cook Seafood: Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and melt ½ tablespoon of butter. Add chopped shrimp and lobster, cooking 3-4 minutes on each side until just cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Make Seafood Filling: In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, cooked shrimp, lobster, lump crab meat, chopped spinach, ½ cup mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Assemble Shells: Pour a layer of the prepared pasta sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Stuff each pasta shell with about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of the seafood mixture and place them seam-side up in the baking dish over the sauce.
- Add Cheese and Bake: Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese evenly over the stuffed shells. Cover the dish with foil to keep moisture in and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes until the cheese is lightly browned.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the dish to cool slightly after baking before serving to let the sauce set and enhance the flavors.
Notes
- You can substitute the seafood with any favorite seafood such as more shrimp or omit lobster and crab.
- Using about 1 ½ tablespoons of filling per shell yields approximately 18-20 stuffed shells.
- Old Bay seasoning can be added during cooking of seafood or mixed into the seafood filling; both methods work well.
- Cook pasta shells to al dente to avoid overcooked, mushy shells that are difficult to stuff.
- Immediately cooling shells in cold water prevents sticking and stops further cooking.
- Covering the dish with foil during baking keeps shells moist and prevents them from drying out.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (3-4 stuffed shells)
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
