The entire pan of these seafood stuffed shells didn’t make it past day two after I baked them. And I’m. Not. Mad.
You guys know I’ve already shared my vegetarian stuffed shells recipe last year. But if there’s one thing that’s consistent about me, it’s that I absolutely love seafood. I could be a pescatarian easily and not look back.
So of course, I had to make a seafood version and these did not disappoint! I used chopped shrimp and lump crab, seasoned with a hearty mix of Old Bay and Tony Chachere’s Cajun seasoning. This time, I skipped the egg (I didn’t want the filling to be too heavy in contrast to the light seafood.)
One of the best parts of this recipe is the homemade Alfredo/white sauce. It sounds intimidating to make your own, but I promise it’s super easy. I’ve never actually bought Alfredo sauce from a jar because it tastes so much better to make it yourself.
Just like my other stuffed shells recipe, the freezing process is really easy. Just set the stuffed shells on a cookie sheet and pop them in the freezer for an hour or so until they are solid. Then, add all of your frozen shells to a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. When it’s time to eat, transfer straight from the freezer to a baking pan, add your sauce, and bake away!
Does your local grocery store have seafood on sale? Well, you simply have to make these seafood stuffed shells! For variations, try swapping out crawfish or lobster for one of the main meats.
Also, thanks to my loyal Instagram followers who voted “yes” on me adding this recipe to the blog. Make sure you follow the page for more behind the scenes info on all of my meals, travel, and other life stuff!
Seafood Stuffed Shells with Shrimp and Crab
Ingredients
- 20 ct. jumbo pasta shells
- 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 oz. spinach chopped
- 20 ct. shrimp chopped
- 6 oz. lump crabmeat
- 8 oz. ricotta cheese
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of water and salt until it is at a rolling boil. Add pasta shells and cook for about 2 minutes less than the directions on the package – these will fully cook in the oven.
- Once shells are done, drain and set aside. I actually blanch them with a quick ice bath to completely stop the cooking process.
- Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add olive oil.
- Add spinach and chopped shrimp to skillet and sauté for about 5 minutes until shrimp turn pink. The spinach will release water as it cooks down; drain any excess liquid.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add shrimp/spinach mix, crab meat, and ricotta cheese. Season with Cajun seasoning, Old Bay, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
- Stuff your shells with the seafood mixture. Some people use piping bags, but I get down and dirty with a regular serving spoon and my (washed!) hands.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Add heavy cream and almond milk to a shallow saucepan. Season with Cajun seasoning, salt, black pepper, and a hint of red pepper to taste.
- Heat for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to bubble and thicken.
- In a 9×13 baking dish, pour the homemade white sauce on the bottom of the pan.
- Layer stuffed shells on top of the sauce. Pour any remaining white sauce on top of the shells.
- Bake for 20 minutes, covered in aluminum foil. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 15 minutes until the tops begin to brown and the sauce is bubbling.
- Sprinkle a bit of parmesan and fresh chopped basil on top of the shells and serve while hot. Enjoy!
Freezer Instructions
- To freeze, stuff the shells as written above and then layer on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place in the freezer for about an hour to ensure that they will not stick together. After an hour, remove and add to a large freezer-safe Ziploc bag.
- To reheat, bake frozen shells and sauce uncovered at 375°F for 30-45 minutes until fully heated through. Enjoy!
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving: $2.41
- Total Cost (4 servings): $9.62
- Those Other Guys: $14.99 per serving
Do I have to use unsweetened almond milk? Can I use regular milk?
No, regular milk will be fine! It’s actually more creamy than almond milk so the texture will be smoother 🙂
I tried out this recipe and it was a show-stopper! One suggestion: include all of the spices in the shopping list, I got home from the grocery store and two weren’t in my spice rack, but I found substitutes. I’m sure more paprika and Old Bay would have knocked this out of the ballpark!
Thank you so much for the suggestion! This post will be updated with the seasonings included in the recipe card – I’m really glad to hear you loved it!