Copycat Olive Garden Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

• 16 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 (15 oz) jar marinara sauce

For the filling:

• 15 oz ricotta
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

For the breadcrumbs:

• 1/3 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon butter

For the Alfredo sauce:

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup Parmesan, grated
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and grease an 8x8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
2. Cook shells according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cool water, and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, make the filling by mixing together ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, oregano, and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Spread 1 cup of marinara in bottom of pan.
5. Stuff shells with 2 tablespoons of filling per shell and place each shell on top of marinara in baking pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the sauces and breadcrumb topping:
7. In a skillet, melt the 1 tablespoon butter. Add breadcrumbs and stir until golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Remove from skillet to a bowl and set aside.
8. When shells have 5 minutes of baking time left, make the Alfredo sauce:
9. In the same skillet, melt the 6 tablespoons of butter. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in whipping cream, Parmesan, and mozzarella. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir until sauce is smooth.
10. Remove shells from oven and spoon Alfredo sauce over and around shells. Spoon a bit more marinara over the top. Top with breadcrumbs and return to oven. Broil on high 2-3 minutes. Enjoy!