Creamy Seafood Stuffed Shells (Printable Copy)

Jumbo shells stuffed with lobster, crab, and cream cheese in a decadent Parmesan sauce

# What You Need:

→ Seafood Filling

01 - 8 oz lobster meat, chopped
02 - 8 oz lump crab meat, picked over for shells
03 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
05 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
06 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
07 - 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
08 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
09 - ½ cup heavy whipping cream
10 - ¾ cup Parmesan Reggiano cheese, grated

→ Pasta & Sauce

11 - 18–20 jumbo pasta shells
12 - ½ cup heavy whipping cream
13 - ¾ cup Parmesan Reggiano cheese, grated

→ For Baking

14 - Aluminum foil
15 - Fresh herbs or extra Parmesan, for garnish (optional)

# How to Make:

01 - In a large skillet over medium heat, melt ½ tablespoon butter. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in lobster and crab meat, cook for 2–3 minutes until just heated through. Remove from heat and set aside.
02 - In a large bowl, combine the cooked seafood, softened cream cheese, ½ cup mozzarella, salt, and pepper. Mix until fully combined and creamy.
03 - Boil jumbo shells in salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
04 - In the same skillet, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in ½ cup heavy cream. Add grated Parmesan and remaining ½ cup mozzarella, stirring until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
05 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread a thin layer of cheese sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Stuff each shell generously with seafood filling; arrange in the baking dish. Pour remaining cheese sauce evenly over the shells.
06 - Cover with aluminum foil; bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes more, or until sauce is bubbly and top is golden.
07 - Let cool slightly. Garnish with extra Parmesan or fresh herbs. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The combination of tender lobster, sweet crab, and three cheeses creates the most incredible velvety filling
  • This dish looks impressive but comes together faster than you would expect, making it perfect for entertaining without spending all day in the kitchen
02 -
  • Overcooking the seafood in that first step will make it rubbery and tough, so really just heat it through and move on
  • Room temperature cream cheese mixes seamlessly into the filling, while cold cream cheese leaves you with annoying lumps
03 -
  • Use a piping bag or zip top bag with the corner cut to stuff the shells, it is so much faster and less messy than using spoons
  • Let the dish rest for at least 5 minutes before serving so the sauce thickens slightly and does not run everywhere when you cut into it
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