47 pasta shell recipes

Spaghetti rolls are beef-stuffed manicotti with mozzarella and onion-spiked ground beef baked in marinara, swapping the usual ricotta cheese for a heartier, meat-forward filling.

Pasta Nicoise salad with shell pasta, fresh tomatoes, steamed green beans, black olives, and capers tossed in a garlicky olive oil vinaigrette. Ready in 20 minutes.

Stuffed shells florentine with jumbo pasta shells filled with spinach, mushrooms, cottage cheese, and garlic, baked in marinara. Lighter Italian comfort food.

Eggplant and pasta shells in a tomato-wine sauce with mushrooms, green pepper, red onion, and oregano. An oil-free vegetarian pasta sauteed in water and vinegar.

Spinach ricotta stuffed shells with a cabbage twist, baked in tomato-broth sauce with nutmeg. A lighter Italian-American main with hidden-vegetable smarts.

Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with ricotta, broccoli, and sauteed mushrooms, baked in tomato sauce. A lighter Italian-style vegetarian dinner with no added oil.

Mexican manicotti: pasta shells stuffed with beef, refried beans, and cumin, smothered in corn and picante salsa. A microwave-friendly fusion casserole on the table in under 40 minutes.

Tomato-based seafood soup with fresh herbs, pasta shells, and mixed seafood finished with dry sherry. Elegant 60-minute bisque.

This is actually fairly easy to make, the only time consuming part was peeling the eggplant and chopping vegetables.

A low-fat dish that's succulent taste will have you scooping out a second helping.

Baked manicotti stuffed with spinach, shiitake and white mushrooms, cottage cheese, garlic, and red wine-sauteed peppers. Lightened-up Italian comfort food in one dish.

Vegan pesto tofu manicotti: shells stuffed with mashed soft tofu, basil pesto, scallions, peppers, and mushrooms. Topped with marinara and shredded soy mozzarella, baked until bubbly. Plant-based dinner-party comfort food.

Savory meat-filled manicotti stuffs pasta tubes with seasoned ground chicken, mozzarella, parmesan, and bread crumbs, baked in marinara with melted cheese. Italian-American comfort food, lighter version.

Baked stuffed manicotti the old-school way: pasta tubes packed with a beef and mozzarella filling, blanketed in a homemade tomato sauce simmered an hour with fennel seed and herbs, then baked bubbling under more cheese.

Hunter's minestrone with cubed beef, kidney beans, pasta shells, and red wine simmered for four hours in three stages. A hearty, meaty Italian soup built for cold weather.

Pasta shells stuffed with tofu, mozzarella, mushrooms, and red pepper, baked under a fresh fennel and tomato sauce. A lighter, plant-forward spin on stuffed shells.