Seafood Stuffed Pasta Shells

Print Recipe

3 from 1 vote

Seafood Stuffed Pasta Shells

Pasta shells loaded with seafood, baked in a creamy sauce and topped with crispy panko and parmesan.

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Total Time1 10

Course: Fish, Main Course, Pasta, Seafood

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Keyword: baked seafood pasta, seafood pasta, seafood stuffed pasta, seafood stuffed pasta shells, seafood stuffed shells

Servings:

Calories: 712kcal

Ingredients

18 jumbo pasta shells 16 for filling, 2 extra in case of breakage

Seafood Filling

2½ cups mixed cooked seafood of your choice lobster, crab, shrimp, scallops, surimi etc.
1 cup ricotta cheese
¼ cup finely diced sweet red pepper
¼ cup fresh minced parsley
½ lemon, juiced, about 2 Tablespoons zest skin before squeezing for topping
1 tsp salt
¼¼ tsp white pepper

White Sauce

¼ cup butter
¼ cup finely diced shallots or onion
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp flour
2¼ cups milk
¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp white pepper

Crispy Topping

2 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp melted butter
½ tsp lemon zest

Instructions

If using uncooked seafood, prepare by steaming or boiling gently without overcooking. When cool enough to handle, remove from shells and chop, tear etc into no larger than bite sized pieces. Chill.
In large bowl combine seafood with ricotta, parsley, sweet red pepper, salt and pepper. Cut lemon in half, zest skin and reserve for topping. Squeeze juice into mixture and mix well.
Bring large pot of water to boil. Cook 14 shells according to instructions on packaging until al dente. Cooking a few extra shells ensures you have enough if one tears or you have extra filling. Remove to towel to drain and cool.
While shells are cooking, prepare sauce. Sauté shallots or onion in butter until soft. Add garlic and cook for one minute only. Add flour and cook for another minute to prevent raw flour taste in sauce. Whisk in milk and cook on medium heat until mixture is smooth and thickened. Stir in fresh grated parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. If desired, add a spoonful or 2 of sauce to filling mixture.
Spread about ½ cup of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish large enough to hold the shells without overcrowding but not so large that they aren't touching.
Spoon filling evenly into pasta shells. Arrange in baking dish. When all shells are filled, pour remaining sauce evenly around and between shells.
Combine crispy topping ingredients and sprinkle over top of each shell.
Bake uncovered in preheated oven at 350° for 40 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and topping is golden brown. Allow to rest a few minutes before serving.

Notes

Nutrition information is based on full fat ricotta, salted butter and 2% milk.

Nutrition