Asparagus & Peas Stuffed Pasta Shells
May 14, 2016, Updated Jul 28, 2019
Asparagus & Peas Stuffed Pasta Shells - easy dinner idea for busy weekdays!
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Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with asparagus, peas and ricotta mixture.
I am not sure if you guys noticed but I have been kind of irregular with my blog these days. I am also hardly there on the social media, a lot has been going on due to which I was unable to find time for the blog. I went to India for 3 weeks and returned just yesterday. It’s been a very tiring 3 weeks, the trip was unplanned and sudden so I didn’t even have any recipe back up. Actually I had some recipes in my draft but neither had the time nor the energy/motivation to write something and that’s why things have been really slow around here. But now that I am back, I wanted to cook something at home and what better than pasta to get back on the cooking track?
Pasta is probably the easiest thing you can make for dinner. And it’s so versatile, you can make it with veggies, without any veggies, with only cheese or whatever you fancy. No wonder it’s so popular everywhere! I always prefer homemade pasta sauce but when you are dead tired after such a long flight, you might not always have the energy to make it from scratch. And honestly you don’t even need to make it from scratch because now you have RAGÚ® Homestyle Pasta Sauces! It’s thick and hearty and has the same made-from-scratch taste!
Since asparagus and peas are in season, I made these stuffed pasta shells. The jumbo pasta shells are stuffed with asparagus, peas and ricotta cheese mixture and then baked with RAGÚ® Homestyle Thick and Hearty Traditional Sauce. Do you guys like pasta shells?
I think they are awesome, first because you can make them in advance and they feed a crowd and second because they look fancy without much effort. And any thing which looks fancy without much prep work is always a winner in my book. If you have never cooked shells before here’s a tip – under-cook them so that they don’t break or get too mushy when you fill them. In fact I cut short the cooking time by 2 minutes from what was mentioned on my pasta box. This way they remain firm and are easy to fill.
Method
Cook the pasta shells according to instructions on the package and set aside. In a pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot add chopped garlic and onion and saute for 2 minutes.
Add chopped asparagus and cook for a minute
Add green peas, salt and pepper. Cook the peas and mash them little with the back of your spatula. Cover and cook till peas and asparagus are softened.
Transfer asparagus and peas mixture to a bowl. Add ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, dried basil, oregano, parsley and red chili flakes. Also add salt and black pepper.
Mix till everything is well combined. Adjust the seasoning to taste at this point.
Now carefully fill the pasta shells with the mixture. Fill them generously, you will be able to stuff 15-16 pasta shells out of this mixture.
Take a 13 x 9 inch baking pan and place 1.5 cups of RAGÚ® Homestyle Thick and Hearty Traditional Sauce on the bottom.
Now place the stuffed jumbo pasta shells on top of the sauce.
Pour the remaining RAGÚ® sauce on top of the shells. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese. 
Bake at 350 F degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Garnish with some fresh basil leaves and serve stuffed pasta shells immediately.
* Adjust mozzarella cheese to taste and preference. I have used very little, you may use up to 1.5 cups of it.
Asparagus & Peas Stuffed Pasta Shells
Ingredients
- 15 jumbo shells
- 1/2 lb asparagus trimmed and cut into small rounds
- 1 small red onion finely chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 10 oz green peas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt & black pepper to taste
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese I use vegetarian parmesan
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 23 oz pasta sauce I used RAGÚ® Homestyle Thick and Hearty Traditional Sauce
- 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
- Cook the pasta shells according to instructions on the package and set aside. In a pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot add chopped garlic and onion and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add chopped asparagus and cook for a minute
- Add green peas, salt and pepper. Cook the peas and mash them little with the back of your spatula. Cover and cook till peas and asparagus are softened.
- Transfer asparagus and peas mixture to a bowl. Add ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, dried basil, oregano, parsley and red chili flakes. Also add salt and black pepper.
- Mix till everything is well combined. Adjust the seasoning to taste at this point.
- Now carefully fill the pasta shells with the mixture. Fill them generously, you will be able to stuff 15-16 pasta shells out of this mixture.
- Take a 13 x 9 inch baking pan and place 1.5 cups of RAGÚ® Homestyle Thick and Hearty Traditional Sauce on the bottom.
- Now place the stuffed jumbo pasta shells on top of the sauce.
- Pour the remaining RAGÚ® sauce on top of the shells. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake at 350 F degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Garnish with some fresh basil leaves and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Asparagus & Peas Stuffed Pasta Shells
Good recipe, but if I recommend Lucini Organic Pasta sauce if you must use sauce from a jar. When i make Shepherds pie, i add in Asparagus tips and sundried tomatoes to kick it up a notch as apposed to just peas and carrots.
lovely recipe
These stuffed pasta shells look so delicious Manali! I love the combination of peas and asparagus. They’re two of my favourite vegetables! This is such a great recipe. I can’t wait to try it!
Hey friend…I noticed you were missing for a bit…I hope everything is okay. I’m thinking about you! And these shells, oh man – one of my favorites, of course!! Take care, sweetie!
Love pasta shells and this filling sounds amazing! The sauce is great, too! Pinning to try it!
I love stuffed pasta shells and love the addition of the asparagus! I didn’t know RAGÚ Homestyle Pasta Sauce came in 4 flavors! I’ll have to check them out! delicious!
whoops! I mean asparagus filling — total type-o!
Life happens and sometimes there is no time get recipes lined up for the blog! I hope everything is ok and glad to have you back! These shells look incredible with that artichoke filling — this is the perfect spring meal!
Manali, I hope everything is okay back home. Glad to hear you’re back and blogging. These stuffed shells sound delicious and I love that you added asparagus. My favorite veggie.
These stuffed pasta shells look and sound adorably yum, Manali. Stuffing sounds interesting to me! 🙂
Sounds like you’re dealing with some heavy stuff. I hope everything is fine in India.
The dish looks fabulous with simple flavors and loads of asparagus and peas.
Manali these look amazing! Love that they are stuffed with peas. I am glad that you’re back and had safe travels!
I love a good pasta and these shells look scrumptious! The asparagus and pea filling is a great choice. I must make this the next time I’m craving pasta!
I love making stuffed shells, but usually just fill them with cheeses. I like the idea of incorporating veggies for more flavor!
What a great way to jazz up stuffed shells! These look incredible, Manali! Love the asparagus in here!
These stuffed shells look amazing, Manali! Pasta is definitely one of our favorite comfort foods around here. It’s been wayyy too long since I’ve made stuffed shells, too. Glad to see that you’re back, and I hope everything in India is ok. Hang in there, and see you soon! 🙂
Glad you’re back, Manali! I hope your trip went well! And oh my gosh, these shells are SO up my alley–Love all that green goodness you packed them with!
I had noticed you were MIA. I hope everything is okay, Manali! Thinking of you.
These are amazing, of course. Such a satisfying meal!
I love the idea of stuffing jumbo shells- thanks for the recipe!
Hope you had a wonderful trip to India! These pasta shells look SO good – love how bright and spring-y your yummy filling is. Love!
This looks so comforting and inviting! And the filling of peas and asparagus is something I’d really like. I kind of want this right now!
That looks mouthwatering! I love the spring veggie filling.