Description
A luxurious dish featuring large pasta shells filled with sweet lobster, tender crab, and plump shrimp, all enveloped in a rich ricotta-parmesan filling and creamy sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 package large pasta shells (jumbo shells), about 12–16 shells
- 1 cup cooked lobster, chopped
- 1 cup cooked crab meat, shredded
- 1 cup cooked shrimp, chopped
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley for garnish
- Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
- A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 cup frozen peas or finely chopped spinach (optional)
- 1/4 cup panko or seasoned breadcrumbs (optional)
- A few tablespoons of chopped fresh chives or basil (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a medium baking dish with butter or oil.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the jumbo shells until al dente, then drain.
- In a mixing bowl, combine lobster, crab, shrimp, ricotta, half of mozzarella, and Parmesan. Season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, chives, and lemon zest.
- In a saucepan, melt butter and sauté garlic briefly, then add cream and simmer to thicken.
- Stuff the seafood-ricotta mixture into each shell and arrange them in the baking dish.
- Pour the cream sauce over the shells, sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top, and add breadcrumbs if using.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake another 8–12 minutes until golden.
- Rest for 5 minutes before serving and garnish with parsley and lemon zest.
Notes
This dish can be prepared ahead and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. Consider using high-quality frozen seafood to save time.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 27g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
Keywords: seafood, stuffed shells, pasta, creamy, lobster, crab, shrimp, Italian