Oh my gosh, you know those nights? The ones where you just need something warm, cheesy, and deeply satisfying? That’s when I pull out this recipe. Forget fussy layering; this is the easiest, dreamiest baked pasta you’ll ever make. We are talking giant shells stuffed absolutely packed with filling. Seriously, the best part of my standard rotation is this Creamy Garlic Tomato Conchiglioni Pasta. It hits all the right notes—a little tang from the tomato, so much garlic flavor, and that luxurious, velvety sauce binding it all together. It’s quick enough for a Tuesday but feels fancy enough for company. Trust me, you’re going to want to make this again next week!
Why This Creamy Garlic Tomato Conchiglioni Pasta Recipe Works
I know there are a million baked pasta recipes out there, but this one is different. It’s genuinely quick, and the flavor is just spot-on. I honestly think this Creamy Garlic Tomato Conchiglioni Pasta might be my favorite comfort food confession of all time. It comes together faster than you’d think, which is huge for weeknight dinners.
Here’s why I keep coming back to it:
- It’s the ultimate comfort food—warm, cheesy, and totally huggable.
- The filling is rich but balanced; it’s not just heavy cream, we get that nice little pop from the tomatoes and basil.
- It saves beautifully! I often make an extra batch just for lunch later in the week. You can check out some other great comfort bakes here if you need more inspiration.
- The shells hold onto that amazing creamy sauce perfectly.
Ingredients for the Perfect Creamy Garlic Tomato Conchiglioni Pasta
Okay, let’s talk about what you need to gather up. This recipe uses simple stuff, but quality still matters, especially for that wonderful garlic and tomato base. Don’t skimp on the Parmesan cheese—it melts so much better than the dusty stuff in the green can, trust me! For rich texture, you absolutely need the heavy cream; this is where the magic happens when mingling with the tomato. If you want to see how to make an incredible sauce from scratch sometime, check out what I do for my homemade Alfredo here.
Here is the rundown of everything you need to assemble this amazing meal:
- One pound of conchiglioni pasta. These are the big shells, which are non-negotiable for stuffing!
- One tablespoon of good olive oil for getting things started in the pan.
- Four cloves of garlic, and you’ll want them finely minced—don’t be shy with the garlic flavor!
- One 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes, and make sure you drain them really well before they hit the pan.
- One full cup of heavy cream. I always use the full-fat stuff for creaminess.
- Half a cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Get the block and grate it yourself if you can!
- A quarter cup of fresh basil, roughly chopped. The fresh herb fragrance is necessary.
- Just salt and black pepper to taste—we season as we go!
- And finally, half a cup of shredded mozzarella cheese to sprinkle on top for that perfect bubbly crust.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Creamy Garlic Tomato Conchiglioni Pasta
We’re going to tackle this in three main parts: getting the shells ready, whipping up that incredible sauce, and then the fun part—stuffing and baking! Make sure you preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) right at the start so everything is ready when the shells come out of the water. If you want to tackle baking tips and tricks while things are simmering, I have a great post on creamy baked pasta techniques!
Preparing the Pasta Shells
First things first, get your big conchiglioni shells cooking. I always cook them just shy of what the package says—we want them perfectly *al dente*. This is crucial! If they’re too soft now, they’ll turn into mush after baking. Trust me on this one. Once they’re done, drain them really well and let them cool just enough so you can safely handle them for stuffing.
Creating the Creamy Garlic Tomato Filling
Now for the flavor bomb! Heat that olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Toss in your four cloves of minced garlic. This is my warning moment: keep stirring! Garlic burns so quickly, and burnt garlic tastes bitter, which ruins the whole vibe of this Creamy Garlic Tomato Conchiglioni Pasta. You just want it fragrant—about one minute. Next, throw in your drained diced tomatoes and let them cook down a little bit for about three minutes. Once that’s done, turn the heat way down low. Slowly stir in the heavy cream and the grated Parmesan. Let that simmer gently for about five minutes until it starts to thicken up nicely. Taste it here! Add salt and pepper until it sings. Finally, take it off the heat completely and stir in that fresh basil. That way, the heat doesn’t dull the bright basil flavor.
Stuffing and Baking the Creamy Garlic Tomato Conchiglioni Pasta
Time to assemble! Carefully take each shell and spoon in that creamy tomato mixture. Don’t try to overload them too much, or they’ll pop when baking. Arrange those stuffed shells neatly in your baking dish. If you have any leftover sauce lying in the skillet, pour it right over the top of the shells—it keeps them moist! Then, the grand finale: sprinkle that shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over everything. Pop the whole dish into the 375°F oven and let it bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. You’re looking for the cheese to be melted, golden, and bubbly. It smells amazing when it’s done!
Tips for Achieving the Best Creamy Garlic Tomato Conchiglioni Pasta
When you make this Creamy Garlic Tomato Conchiglioni Pasta, the finishing touches are what take it from good to absolutely unforgettable. I’ve learned a couple of little secrets over the years that I rely on every single time I whip this up for dinner.
First, that sauce consistency during stuffing is key. If you feel the filling getting too thick while you’re working through the shells—and this happens—don’t panic! Just grab a spoonful or two of the starchy water you saved from boiling the shells and stir it into your remaining sauce. That starchy water thickens the sauce beautifully without watering down the flavor. It’s a game-changer!
Also, please use fresh basil if you can find it. Dried basil doesn’t have that bright punch against the rich cream and garlic. If you’re wondering how to enhance garlic flavor in other ways, you should definitely check out how I build flavor in my simple garlic Parmesan recipe!
Finally, watch the oven time. The sauce is already cooked, so we are really just melting cheese and heating everything through. Pull it out as soon as that cheese is bubbly and just starting to get those light brown spots. No one wants dry shells!
Ingredient Substitutions for Creamy Garlic Tomato Conchiglioni Pasta
I totally get it; sometimes you’re mid-recipe and realize you’re out of one key thing. Don’t throw in the towel! This Creamy Garlic Tomato Conchiglioni Pasta is pretty flexible, even though I stand by the original ingredients. It’s all about finding the best swap for what you have on hand.
Let’s talk about that creamy texture first. If you are fresh out of heavy cream, you have a couple of options, though the texture will change slightly. Half-and-half works okay, but you’ll need to cook it down longer because it’s thinner, and maybe thicken it with a tiny bit of cornstarch mixed with cold water at the end. Another option is using whole milk combined with a tablespoon of softened butter whisked in—that gets you closer to that richness we are aiming for. Just always watch your heat so milk sauces don’t scorch!
What about the herbs? If you don’t have fresh basil on hand, you can absolutely use dried basil. Just remember, dried herbs are much stronger than fresh ones. For this recipe, use about one teaspoon of dried basil. Add it in when you put the tomatoes in the skillet so it has time to rehydrate and flavor the sauce properly. A little pinch of dried oregano works great too if you want an earthier flavor profile instead of pure basil.
And for the cheeses! Parmesan is tough to swap because it brings a salty, nutty depth, but you can generally use Pecorino Romano if you don’t mind a sharper taste. For the mozzarella topping? Shredded provolone is a fantastic melter and gives a tiny bit of extra flavor. If you’re serving someone who can’t do dairy, that’s a bit trickier with the sauce base, but for simple swaps, Parmesan and Mozzarella are the easiest to substitute!
Storage and Reheating Creamy Garlic Tomato Conchiglioni Pasta
These stuffed shells are honestly great the next day—sometimes even better because the flavors have had time to really mingle! But you have to treat the leftovers right, especially because of that lovely cream sauce we made. No one wants dry, sad pasta the second time around, right?
For storing, you need an airtight container, obviously. If you used a glass baking dish, just cover it really tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Pop the covered dish—or transfer the leftovers to a container—in the fridge. They usually keep beautifully for about three or four days. I often think of baked pasta dishes like this as perfect for meal prepping because they hold up so well. If you’re into making big casseroles like this routinely, you should check out some of my other baked favorites right here!
Now, reheating is where most people mess up creamy pasta, so pay attention! If you try to microwave a hunk of cold shells straight from the fridge, they’ll seize up and get tough. You need to reintroduce a little moisture. When reheating individual servings, I always add about a tablespoon of milk or even just a splash of water right on top of the shells before covering them loosely with a damp paper towel.
Microwave in short bursts, stirring gently halfway through, until it’s heated all the way through and the sauce is liquid-y again, not stiff. If you’re reheating the whole casserole dish, you can put it back in the 350°F oven until warmed through, still covered, and maybe uncover it for the last five minutes to get the cheese looking nice again. It just melts right back into that gorgeous consistency we love!
Serving Suggestions for This Creamy Pasta Dish
This Creamy Garlic Tomato Conchiglioni Pasta is wonderfully rich, so you don’t want to weigh down the meal with heavy sides. Honestly, sometimes I just eat a bowl of the shells by themselves because they are so filling, but usually, I pair them with something light and fresh just to cut through that glorious creaminess.
My number one recommendation is always a simple green salad. Think arugula or mixed greens tossed with a very sharp, lemony vinaigrette. The acidity from the lemon cuts the fat from the cream and cheese, making every bite of pasta taste fresh and new again. It’s the perfect palate cleanser!
If you are serving this to hungry folks, or maybe you’re serving it for a weekend dinner, you absolutely have to have bread. I mean, what are you going to use to scoop up the leftover cheesy sauce from the bottom of the dish if you don’t have fantastic bread? I love making a batch of my Grandma’s homemade bread when I know I’m making stuffed shells. Slice it thick, slather it with a little butter and garlic powder, and toast it lightly alongside the pasta for the last five minutes in the oven. That crispy, slightly garlicky bread soaking up that leftover sauce? Pure heaven.
Keep it simple! A few green vegetables on the side—maybe some blanched asparagus or tender-crisp green beans—is all you need to round out this delicious baked dish.
Frequently Asked Questions About Stuffed Shells
I always get emails when I post a recipe like this asking for little tweaks or clarifications. It makes sense—stuffed pasta can sometimes be tricky if you don’t know the little secrets! I’ve collected a few of the most common questions I get about making these shells the best they can be.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Oh yes, this is one of my favorite make-ahead meals! You can definitely stuff the shells and assemble the whole bake the day before you plan to serve it. Just make sure everything is covered tightly with plastic wrap and kept in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, pull it out about 30 minutes before it goes into the oven so it can take the chill off a bit. You might need to add 5 to 10 minutes onto the baking time since it’s cold, but just watch that cheese!
What pasta works best besides conchiglioni?
Conchiglioni are fantastic because they are so large—they hold a ton of that creamy filling! But if you can’t find them, or if you’re making this faster, you can totally use manicotti or cannelloni if you like rolling things, but that takes way more time. For a super easy swap, just use jumbo shells, which are basically the same thing. If you don’t want to stuff at all, you could always try cutting up your sauce into a different bake, like this simple chicken pasta bake, but honestly, the stuffing is half the fun here!
My sauce ended up too thin—what do I do without ruining the texture?
This happens when you add too much liquid too quickly, or if you didn’t reduce the cream long enough. If you find your sauce is super soupy before you start stuffing, take it immediately off the heat and stir in an extra tablespoon or two of grated Parmesan cheese. Parmesan is a thickener! If that doesn’t work, you can whisk up half a teaspoon of cornstarch with one tablespoon of cold water (this is called a slurry) and slowly whisk that into the simmering sauce. Let it bubble for one minute, and it should tighten right up, giving you a sauce perfect for stuffing and drizzling.
Do these shells freeze well?
They freeze quite well, which is great for big batches! Bake the shells completely first, let them cool completely, then cover the whole dish tightly with foil. You can freeze it like that for up to two months. When you want to eat, thaw it overnight in the fridge, then reheat it covered in the oven at 350°F until it is piping hot all the way to the center. Check the moisture level—if it seems dry after reheating, just add a splash of milk to the top before warming.
Estimated Nutritional Snapshot
Listen, when you’re making something this rich and cheesy, you know you’re diving into comfort food territory, right? We aren’t exactly making salads here, but I wanted to give you a general idea of what you’re looking at per serving for this Creamy Garlic Tomato Conchiglioni Pasta. Don’t take these numbers as gospel, though! They are purely estimates calculated based on the exact ingredients listed above and how much the final dish yields.
If you use low-fat cream or skip the mozzarella topping, things change! But generally, based on four big servings, here’s the ballpark:
- Calories: Around 650 per serving.
- Fat Content: Yep, it’s high, around 35 grams total fat. That’s the price you pay for all that cream and Parmesan, but it’s worth it!
- Carbohydrates: About 60 grams, mostly coming from the pasta shells themselves.
- Protein: We get a pretty solid boost of protein, closing in around 25 grams, thanks to the dairy.
- Sodium: This depends heavily on the salt level you added during seasoning, but the estimate is around 550mg before factoring in table salt.
Seriously, treat these numbers as fun trivia more than strict tracking data. I always say, if you’re eating something this delicious, focus on enjoying the moment! Any tracking app will give you slightly different results depending on the brand of canned tomatoes or cream you end up using, so just use this as a guideline for a truly satisfying weeknight dinner.
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Creamy Garlic Tomato Conchiglioni Pasta
- Total Time: 50 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A simple recipe for large shell pasta stuffed with a creamy garlic and tomato filling.
Ingredients
- 1 pound conchiglioni pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
- Cook the conchiglioni pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for one minute until fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown.
- Add the drained diced tomatoes to the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the fresh basil.
- Carefully stuff each cooked conchiglioni shell with the creamy tomato mixture. Arrange the stuffed shells in a baking dish.
- Pour any remaining sauce over the stuffed shells. Top evenly with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Notes
- You can substitute dried basil for fresh, using 1 teaspoon.
- If the sauce becomes too thick before stuffing, add a splash of reserved pasta water.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 550
- Fat: 35
- Saturated Fat: 18
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Trans Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 60
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 25
- Cholesterol: 85
Keywords: creamy pasta, conchiglioni, stuffed shells, garlic tomato sauce, baked pasta