Do you love the classic Italian dish of stuffed shells? Take it up a notch with this tasty and impressive crab-stuffed shell recipe. Your family will be delighted to see this delicious meal on the dinner table – melt in your mouth pasta shells filled with creamy, cheesy and flavorful crab meat! With detailed instructions that make cooking easy, these crab stuffed shells provide an elevated take on traditional Italian fare, yet still achievable for any level of chef or home cook.
What ingredients do you need to make Tomato Alfredo Sauce?
- Butter
- Garlic Cloves
- Heavy Cream
- Parmesan Cheese, shredded
- Lemon Juice
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Crushed Tomatoes
What ingredients do you need to make Crab Stuffed Shells?
- 1cup Frozen Chopped Spinach, defrosted
- 1cup Crab Claw Meat
- 15oz Ricotta Cheese
- 1cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded and divided in half
- 1tsp Creole Seasoning of Choice
How to cook Crab Stuffed Shells
- Cook your jumbo pasta shells according to the packaging. Make sure they are al dente.
- In a medium size bowl, fully combine crab meat, spinach, ricotta, parmesan, and seasoning. Sit to the side.
- To make your sauce, melt butter in a large skillet or pot.
- Stir in your minced garlic.
- Once your garlic starts to caramelize, pour in heavy cream.
- When the heavy cream comes to a light simmer, slowly start to stir in shredded parmesan. (I recommend a 1/4 cup at a time to ensure that the cheese melts properly.
- Once the cheese has melted, stir in crushed tomatoes, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Simmer on low for 10 minutes.
- Now it’s time to stuff your jumbo pasta shells. Add enough filling to completely stuff each shell.
- Take your 9×13 baking dish and cover the bottom with Tomato Alfredo Sauce.
- Place each shell in one single layer in your baking dish. Try not to overlap.
- Pour more sauce over your stuffed shells.
- Sprinkle your remaining parmesan and mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until all the cheese has melted.
- Serve hot.
Crab stuffed shells make a perfect dish that’s easy to prepare yet fancy enough for special occasions. Don’t be afraid to try this recipe, since even the proteins can easily be swapped out. You don’t have to restrict yourself with crab meat either; change it up by adding any finely chopped protein type of your choice. My favorite part about making these stuffed shells is seeing my family’s happy faces when they take the first bite! Don’t forget that you can save money in the process too, by opting for less expensive – yet equally delicious – crab claw meat. Once you give this delightful meal a try, I’m sure you will agree it should make an appearance more often on tables around the world! Tag me on social media when you make them and sign up for my newsletter – I’d love to see your creations!
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Crab Stuffed Shells
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 20–24 1x
Ingredients
1cup Frozen Chopped Spinach, defrosted
1cup Crab Claw Meat
15oz Ricotta Cheese
1/2cup Parmesan Cheese
1tsp Creole Seasoning of Choice
Tomato Alfredo Sauce
2tbs Butter
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
3c Heavy Cream
8oz Fresh Parmesan, shredded
1/4c Lemon Juice
1tsp Salt
1/2tsp Black Pepper
14oz Crushed Tomatoes
Instructions
Cook your jumbo pasta shells according to the packaging. Make sure they are al dente.
In a medium size bowl, fully combine crab meat, spinach, ricotta, parmesan, and seasoning. Sit to the side.
To make your sauce, melt butter in a large skillet or pot.
Stir in your minced garlic.
Once your garlic starts to caramelize, pour in heavy cream.
When the heavy cream comes to a light simmer, slowly start to stir in shredded parmesan. (I recommend a 1/4 cup at a time to ensure that the cheese melts properly.
Once the cheese has melted, stir in crushed tomatoes, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Simmer on low for 10 minutes.
Now it’s time to stuff your jumbo pasta shells. Add enough filling to completely stuff each shell.
Take your 9×13 baking dish and cover the bottom with Tomato Alfredo Sauce.
Place each shell in one single layer in your baking dish. Try not to overlap.
Pour more sauce over your stuffed shells.
Sprinkle your remaining parmesan and mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until all the cheese has melted.
Serve hot.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
Tomato Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
2tbs Butter
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
3c Heavy Cream
8oz Fresh Parmesan, shredded
1/4c Lemon Juice
1tsp Salt
1/2tsp Black Pepper
14oz Crushed Tomatoes
Instructions
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter.
Stir in your minced garlic.
Once your garlic starts to caramelize, pour in heavy cream.
When the heavy cream comes to a light simmer, slowly start to stir in shredded parmesan. (I recommend a 1/4 cup at a time to ensure that the cheese melts properly.
Once the cheese has melted, stir in crushed tomatoes, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Simmer on low for 10 minutes, then use in your favorite dish.
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