Description
Creamy Shrimp Stuffed Shells feature jumbo pasta shells filled with a rich seafood mixture of shrimp, lobster, crab meat, and cream cheese, combined with fresh spinach and mozzarella. Baked in a luscious, creamy Parmesan and white wine sauce, this elegant dish makes for a comforting yet sophisticated meal perfect for seafood lovers.
Ingredients
Pasta Sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter (divided: 1 tablespoon and ½ tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (or any milk of choice)
- ¼ cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio recommended, or substitute with broth)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (adjust to taste)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Shells and Filling
- 20 jumbo pasta shells (12 oz package)
- 8 oz raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, chopped into ½-1 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 ½ cup portions)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
- 1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Foil (for baking)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the stuffed shells.
- Cook Pasta Shells: Boil the jumbo pasta shells according to package instructions but remove them 2 minutes before the shortest recommended cooking time to avoid overcooking. Rinse with cold water to stop cooking and prevent sticking, then set aside to cool.
- Prepare Cream Sauce: In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Stir in the flour and cook until thickened. Gradually whisk in heavy cream, almond milk, and white wine. Add minced garlic, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Continually taste and adjust seasoning, stirring until smooth. Set aside.
- Cook Seafood: Heat the skillet again over medium-high heat and melt the remaining ½ tablespoon butter. Add shrimp and lobster chunks; cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until just cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Make Filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, cooked shrimp, lobster, lump crab meat, chopped spinach, ½ cup mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir well until all ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Assemble Shells and Bake: Pour the prepared pasta sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Stuff each cooled pasta shell with about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of the seafood filling. Arrange all filled shells over the sauce in the dish. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese evenly on top.
- Bake: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbling.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the baked stuffed shells to cool slightly before serving for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- If you prefer, jarred pasta sauce can be used instead of making the cream sauce from scratch.
- Using fresh spinach is ideal, but frozen spinach can be substituted after properly thawing and draining excess water.
- Substitute Old Bay seasoning with your preferred seafood seasoning if desired.
- To prevent mess while stuffing shells, keep a damp towel nearby to clean your hands often.
- This dish can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated before baking; add a few extra minutes to baking time if baking from cold.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
