These summer stuffed shells are a comforting, seasonal way to use fresh garden produce. Jumbo pasta shells filled with ricotta, pesto, zucchini, corn and cheese—easy to make, great for a crowd and perfect for leftovers.
This might be one of my favorite summer dinners.
These summer stuffed shells are a bright, seasonal twist on a classic comfort dish. Garden vegetables, creamy cheese, and basil pesto come together for a satisfying, cozy meal—ideal for when you want something warm that still feels like summer.
On a slightly cooler summer evening, this baked pasta hits the spot. It’s a great way to use zucchini and corn straight from the garden, and it makes excellent leftovers for the next few days.
This really is the meal.
In recent years I’ve come to love stuffed shells—easy to make, comforting, and perfect for feeding a crowd. They’re versatile, travel well to potlucks, and the leftovers reheat beautifully.
For this summer version I pair ricotta with basil pesto and fold in sautéed zucchini and fresh corn. Layered over marinara and sprinkled with melty cheese, the result is a rich, herb-forward pan of summer comfort food.
The technique is simple and mostly hands-off: cook the shells, sauté the vegetables, blend the ricotta filling, stuff the shells, arrange them in sauce, top with cheese and bake.
This is how it goes down.
I prefer to use a single oven-safe skillet or braiser when possible: sauté the vegetables in the pan, then add sauce and bake the stuffed shells right in it. That keeps cleanup minimal and concentrates the flavors.
Start by boiling the jumbo shells until tender, then drain and let them cool enough to handle. Sauté onion and garlic, add zucchini and corn (or any other summer vegetables you like), and cook until softened.
Meanwhile, mix the ricotta filling: ricotta, an egg, part of the cheese, parmesan and a good amount of basil pesto. Fold the sautéed vegetables into that mixture, and use it to stuff each shell.
Pour marinara into the skillet, arrange the stuffed shells in the sauce, dollop extra pesto if you wish, top with remaining mozzarella, and bake until bubbly and golden.
Once it comes out of the oven, finish with a sprinkle of parmesan and fresh basil. Let the pan rest a few minutes before serving to let everything set.
This dish is cozy and customizable: swap or add garden veggies like eggplant, peppers or tomatoes, use your favorite pesto, or choose provolone or mozzarella for the melt. It’s worth turning on the oven for—there are plenty of leftovers for easy lunches or another dinner.
Have you ever seen something so wonderful?
Summer Stuffed Shells
Summer Stuffed Shells
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Ingredients
- 20 to 25 jumbo pasta shells, boiled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 zucchini squash, chopped
- 2 ears of corn, cut from the cob
- kosher salt and pepper
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 cups freshly grated mozzarella or provolone cheese
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- ⅔ cup pesto, basil pesto recommended, plus more for serving
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Boil the pasta shells in salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
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Heat olive oil in an oven-safe Dutch oven or cast iron skillet. Add the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until softened. Stir in the zucchini and corn, season, and cook until tender, about 5–6 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool slightly.
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In a large bowl, combine ricotta, the egg, 1 cup mozzarella, parmesan and ⅓ cup pesto. Season with salt and pepper and mix until smooth. Fold the cooked zucchini and corn into the ricotta mixture.
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Spread the marinara sauce in the oven-safe pan used for the vegetables.
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Stuff each jumbo shell with 2–3 tablespoons of the ricotta-pesto-vegetable filling and place the shells seam-side up in the sauce. If you have extra shells, layer them in a small baking dish with sauce.
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Dollop remaining pesto over the shells and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until bubbly and lightly golden.
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Remove from the oven and let rest a few minutes. Top with extra parmesan and fresh basil before serving.
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Cheeeeeese.