Copycat Olive Garden Giant Stuffed Shells

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

16 jumbo shells

15 oz ricotta cheese

1 cup mozzarella/provolone mixture (or 1/2 cup of each) (shredded)

1 cup Parmesan (shredded/grated)

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp garlic (minced)

15 oz marinara

1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1 tbsp butter

6 tbsp butter

1 tsp garlic (minced)

3/4 cup half and half

1 cup Parmesan (grated)

1/4 cup mozzarella/provolone mix (shredded)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400

Cook shells 12 min (package said 9 but I felt like they needed longer)

In a bowl, mix ricotta, mozzarella/provolone, Parmesan basil, oregano and garlic. Stir well.

Rinse pasta with cool water

Spray 8×8 pan with nonstick spray (I love this Rachael Ray baking dish)

Add 1 cup marinara to bottom of pan

Stuff shells with 2 tbsp filling per shell – use small spoon or hands

Place each shell on top of the marinara

Cover with aluminum foil and Bake at 400 for 20 min

In skillet, melt 1 Tbsp butter – add breadcrumbs – stir until toasty brown 1-2 min – spoon into a small bowl and set aside.

When 5 minutes left on shells – In same skillet melt 6 Tbsp butter

Add garlic and saute for 1 minute

Slowly stir in half and half and both cheeses

Stir together until all cheese are melted and sauce is smooth

Remove shells from oven

Spoon alfredo sauce over top and around shells

Add a little more marinara on top

Sprinkle bread crumbs and any extra Parmesan cheese on top

Broil on high for 2-3 min until cheese browns slightly

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4 shells
• Calories: 911 kcal
• Total Fat: 49.3 g
• Saturated Fat: 29.3 g
• Cholesterol: 143 mg
• Sodium: 1409 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 74.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5.7 g
• Total Sugars: 13.9 g
• Protein: 44.3 g