Creamy Seafood Stuffed Shells

Indulge in the ultimate comfort food dish with these Seafood Stuffed Shells! Tender pasta shells are filled with a rich and creamy mixture of shrimp, crab, lobster, Parmesan cheese, and Old Bay seasoning, then baked to perfection in a luscious cream sauce. Every bite is packed with buttery seafood flavor, cheesy goodness, and just the right amount of seasoning to make this dish truly irresistible. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, special occasion, or meal prep.

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You will always hear me say that restaurant-quality meals can be made at home! This meal is no exception. You will feel like you are dining in a restaurant and going to town on delicious pasta.

You will also love my One Pot Chicken Broccoli Alfredo and Marry Me Chicken Pasta recipes.

Why Readers Love This Recipe

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ms. Brandi you have done it again! Simply delicious. Give me ALL the ingredients. This pasta and sauce was so flavorful. I’m no chef, but your recipes make me feel like I am. Always super easy to follow and I love the tips you include in the blog as well. Can’t wait to see more of your restaurant quality recipes like this one. Thank you for sharing!
~Malika

Key Ingredients

• Jumbo Pasta Shells – The perfect vessel for holding the rich seafood filling. Their size allows for a generous amount of stuffing while maintaining a tender bite.
• Seafood – It’s the star of the dish! Use what you like.
• Cream Cheese – The base of the filling, providing a rich, creamy texture that helps bind all the ingredients together.
• Spinach – Adds a great veggie and a pop of color. If using frozen spinach, it’s important to thaw and drain it first to prevent excess moisture.
• Mozzarella Cheese – Melts beautifully, creating a gooey, cheesy pull.
• Parmesan Reggiano Cheese – Aged Parmesan adds a nutty and salty flavor, making the sauce even more flavorful and luxurious.
• Butter – The base of the sauce, providing richness and thickness to the sauce.
• Flour – Works with the butter to create a roux, which thickens the sauce, giving it a silky and luxurious texture.
• Heavy Whipping Cream – Adds indulgent creaminess, making the sauce velvety smooth and perfectly rich for the seafood filling.
• Milk – Lightens the sauce slightly while keeping it creamy and ensuring the perfect consistency.
• Dry White Wine or Broth – It’s about the flavor here. Broth is a great substitute.
• Garlic – This is a must for pasta! I use it in every recipe.
• Italian Seasoning – A blend of dried herbs (like oregano, basil, and thyme) and is perfect for pastas with cream sauces.
• Salt & Pepper to Taste – Basic and essential.

What Type of Pasta to Use

You want to grab jumbo shells. These come in various varieties including whole wheat. Use what you prefer and cook the pasta in accordance with the instructions on the package. Remove the pasta from the boiling water about 2 minutes prior to the allotted time on the package. Because the pasta will be baked in the oven, you don’t want to overcook it. Removing it a little early will result in the perfect texture.

Some pasta brands will include separate instructions and cook time for if you plan to bake the pasta shells. In this case, it may be safe to follow the outlined instructions.

What Type of Seafood to Use

I love to use shrimp, jumbo lump crab, and lobster in this recipe. You can also use scallops, mussels, pretty much whatever you like.

What Type of Shrimp to Use

Shrimp can be found at the grocery store in a few different ways. There is raw, pre-cooked, raw and frozen, deveined, tails on, tails off, etc.

I never use pre-cooked shrimp. There is an obvious difference in taste due to the lack of quality. The shrimp is cooked and then frozen and you have to cook it/warm it up again. This usually overcooks the shrimp. Raw shrimp only takes minutes to make, just buy it raw.

Always look for deveined, that’s my preference. The black vein that runs along the back of the shrimp is the digestive intestinal tract. You can buy it with the vein and remove it using a sharp paring knife to make a slit along the back and lift out the vein with the tip of the knife.

Can You Use Frozen Shrimp? How to Thaw

You should thaw it first. You can thaw frozen shrimp in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes.

What Type of Crab to Use

I use lump crab meat. You can find it in the refrigerated meat section of the grocery store. Lots of people use imitation crab meat, sometimes called krab meat. You can use that if you wish, it’s also sometimes easier to find.

Imitation crab is processed fish meat. It is seafood and comes from surimi that has been deboned and minced into paste. It does not contain crab. Crab extract is sometimes added for flavor.

Use whichever you wish. You can read more about What Imitation Crab Is here.

What Type of Lobster to Use

I like to keep things simple so I use pre-cracked wild-caught lobster claw and knuckle meat. You can also use lobster tails. In general, when purchasing lobster, always look for cold water lobster. It usually comes from the East Coast or Canada.

Cold water lobsters are larger than warm water lobsters and have more meat. Because they live in cold temperatures their meat gets a lot firmer than those from warm water, which will produce tender meat when properly cooked. Warm water lobster is often mushy with a fishy taste, and sometimes has an ammonia smell.

How to Make the Cheese Sauce

One of the most important parts of this dish is the cheese sauce. A great cheese sauce starts with a roux. A roux is a combination of butter and flour. It’s used to thicken the sauce and to help bind the dish.

From there you will add milk and heavy whipping cream, along with cheese. You will also need to season it with Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper. This is important because the cheese sauce is a source of flavor for the dish.

How to Make Seafood Stuffed Shells

Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Cook the pasta shells: Cook until al dente. Al dente is the term used to describe perfectly cooked pasta. It means firm to the bite. Most packages of pasta will include instructions on how to get the pasta al dente. Don’t overcook the pasta. This will result in pasta that is sticky, flimsy, and difficult to stuff.
2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add in flour and stir until thickened.
3. Add heavy cream, almond milk, and white wine. Stir.
4. Add in garlic, Parmesan cheese, Italian Seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until smooth and set aside.
5. Heat the skillet on medium-high heat. Add in butter. When melted, add in shrimp and lobster.
6. Cook for 3-4 minutes on both sides until cooked through.
7. Add cream cheese, cooked shrimp, lobster, crab, chopped spinach, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan Reggiano cheese, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste to a large bowl. Stir to combine.
8. Pour the pasta sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
9. Load the seafood mixture into each of the pasta shells.
10. Sprinkle the mozzarella throughout.
11. Cover and bake.

Why Do You Cover it in Foil?

Covering it with foil will prevent the shells from drying out and will keep the shells soft. The foil helps trap moisture and steam and keeps the pasta tender and the filling rich and creamy. Without foil, the top layer of cheese can brown too quickly before the shells and filling are fully heated. The foil gives everything time to cook properly before removing it for that final golden finish.

How Long to Bake

Bake for 20 minutes uncovered and then for an additional 5-10 minutes uncovered until the cheese melts and has browned.

Variations and Substitutions

• Bacon
• Chicken
• Scallops
• Caramelized Onions
• Smoked Gouda Cheese
• Gruyère Cheese
• Sundried Tomatoes
• Lemon Juice
• Olives
• Capers
• Artichokes
• Mushrooms
• Roasted Bell Peppers
• Basil
• Parsley
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Cajun Seasoning

Can You Make it Ahead

You can assemble this dish up to 8 hours before you bake it. Don’t add the cheese until you are ready to bake. The cheese will lose it’s initial texture. Cover the dish in foil and place it in the fridge until you are ready to bake. You may need to add an additional 10-15 minutes of bake time since the pasta is chilled.

How to Store Leftovers

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, tightly covered, for 3-4 days

How to Reheat

The sauce will thicken a lot as it stands and after it’s refrigerated. You can reheat the stuffed shells in the microwave or in the oven on 350 degrees until warm.

Freezer Tips

You can freeze the dish, tightly covered and sealed for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge. Since this dish has dairy, you will notice separation upon reheating.

What to Serve and Pair With this Dish

Air Fryer Green Beans
Air Fryer Garlic Bread
Creamy Southern Coleslaw
Grilled Asparagus in Foil
Roasted Ranch Potatoes

More Seafood Recipes

Lobster Mac and Cheese
Smoked Lobster Tail
Seafood Mac and Cheese
Baked Crab Legs
Lemon Pepper Fish
Seafood Lasagna
Seafood Pot Pie
Seafood Cornbread Dressing Recipe

More Pasta Recipes

Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Spaghetti Salad Recipe
Southern Chicken Spaghetti
Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
Cheesy Taco Pasta
Spaghetti with Sausage