Pizza ANYTHING is always appropriate, no matter the time of year.
Happy Tuesday, friends! And Happy Easter week! If you saw my Sidebar yesterday you’d have peeped my 2026 Easter menu, with the admission that a couple recipes had yet to crop up on the site. Well, this is one of them, and I assure you it’s worth the anticipation.
Easy, comforting, cheesy, a marriage between pizza and pasta. Kids and adult alike will dig it.
My Pizza Stuffed Shells are a glorious year-round staple for a busy weeknight, for entertaining, for serving during the holidays, or just when nothing except stuffed shells fulfills a psychological need. Three kinds of cheese and a bubbly pomodoro sauce adorn big ole ricotta-filled, herby pasta shells. I loved making this one nearly as much as I loved eating it, and that is a recipe I celebrate whenever the two aspects of my craft mesh perfectly.
Leftovers? Perfect for meal preps. Let’s stop talking and start banging our spatulas!
PomodorOH YES
Pomodoro is my go-to sauce for any kind of Italian-inspired dish where a jar of storebought just won’t do. My formula is probably not authentic pomodoro, but it nods to the classic flavors with an approachable process.
Warm lots of olive oil (key to a good pomodoro is a good olive oil, so feel welcome to splurge a little!) in a skillet over medium heat. Saute some garlic until fragrant, then pour in a big can of crushed tomatoes and a can of tomato sauce. Simmer gently, covered, for about 10 minute, or longer if you have the spare time.
Depending on the acidity of the canned tomatoes you buy, you may need a teaspoon or so of honey to cut down the bite. I usually cap it at 1 teaspoon, but some pots may require as little as 1/2 and as much as 1 1/2. Start slow and taste as you go. As a rule, real San Marzano tomatoes will be less testy than generic formulations!
To complete your sauce, stir in lots of fresh chopped basil. Taste for salt and pepper.
While your sauce moseys along, boil a pot of water and cook off your jumbo shells. Use the whole box. Some will likely break or stick in the process, it’s inevitable.
A Lotta Ricotta
Now, your filling. I use whole milk ricotta, provolone, and fontina as my cheeses of choice. Stir these up with chopped vegetarian or regular pepperoni, more basil, fresh oregano, and dried fennel.
Stuff each shell with about 1 tablespoon of filling. I often end up with too many shells for some reason. I usually keep these and eat them various ways, maybe with cheese sauce or stuffed with some kind of random doodads in my fridge.
Nestle your shells into the pomodoro. They can squeeze together pretty tightly. Arrange sliced whole milk mozzarella overtop and a few more pepperonis.
Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes, just long enough to melt the cheese and render the sauce an ooey gooey delight. Serve the shells with lots of fresh basil and a big crusty slice of bread.
Aside from the goodies on the Easter menu, these shells are fabulous with a Caesar salad or simple steamed broccoli or green beans. Of course, a glass of good red wine doesn’t hurt either.
Cheers!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Shells when life is hell:
Spicy Pesto Alla Vodka Stuffed Shells
Spicy Pesto Pomodoro Stuffed Shells
White Wine Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Cheesy Salsa Verde Stuffed Shells
pizza stuffed shells
Ingredients
- 1 box jumbo pasta shells
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped, divided
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup fontina cheese, shredded
- 1 cup provolone cheese, shredded
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 tsp dried fennel
- 1 cup vegetarian or regular pepperoni, divided
- 8 oz mozzarella ball
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of pasta to a boil. Cook the shells according to package directions. Drain.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Stir in the garlic until fragrant, about 60 seconds, then pour in the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and warm for 10 -15 . If the sauce is acidic on your tongue, stir in the honey; taste and add another 1/2 teaspoon or so as needed. Stir in 3/4 cup of the basil.
- In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, fontina, provolone, the remaining 1/4 cup of basil, oregano, and fennel. Slice up 3/4 cup of the pepperoni and stir into the ricotta mixture.
- Fill each shell with a heaping 1 tablespoon sized portion of the ricotta filling. Nestle the shells into the sauce. Repeat with the remaining shells and filling.
- Slice up the mozzarella ball and arrange over the shells, then top with the remaining pepperoni. Bake 10-15 minutes until the cheese melts and and the sauce bubbles up the sides of the pan. So good. Serve with fresh basil and crusty bread!
