I know that traditionally seafood and cheese combos have been considered a no-no. But, the never-pair-seafood-with-cheese rule has largely gone by the wayside, and thank goodness for that. Seafood and cheese recipes can be delicious, provided you’re using a mild cheese.
If you stop to think about it, there are a number of classic, even famous, seafood and cheese recipes out there. Coquille St. Jacques is one, crab and brie soup is another. These Seafood Stuffed Shells are another lovely example. The creamy parmesan sauce is flavorful, but not overpowering, and the filling with ricotta and mozzarella is just right with tender shrimp and crab.
Seafood Stuffed Shells require a few steps, but it’s well worth the work every so often. Note that this is one of those recipes where quality counts. Fresh or high-quality frozen shrimp are in order here. If buying frozen shrimp, make sure the bag says “wild caught”, and make sure the only ingredient is “shrimp”. Fresh crab is a must.
You don’t need to be quite so fussy with the cheese. I use whole-milk ricotta, and packaged shredded mozzarella and parmesan. They all work fine. And a word to the wise about jumbo pasta shells: you will have some left over. I like using jumbo shells now and then, but no matter how careful I am, there are always casualties. So go ahead and cook the whole box, and toss the broken ones out for the birds.
Let’s talk about breadcrumbs for a minute. Yes, panko will certainly work in this recipe, those dry superfine breadcrumbs not so much. But real breadcrumbs make a delicious difference. Here’s how I make sure I always have some on hand: I keep a bag in my refrigerator with bread odds and ends in it. All bread butts go in the bag. So do the ends of baguettes and the like. Do you need to cut the crusts off bread for some reason? Do it before making the sandwich or whatever and toss the clean crusts in the bag. Bakery bread got a little stale before you could finish it? Awesome! Just get it in the bag before it’s rock hard or moldy.
When the bag is full, pulse the contents in the food processor until you have coarse crumbs. Put the crumbs in a freezer bag, squeeze out most of the air, and throw it in the freezer. They will last a long time. Start another bread scrap bag in the fridge, rinse and repeat. When you need breadcrumbs, pour out as many frozen crumbs as you need for whatever you’re making.
Seafood Stuffed Shells are easy, even if a bit complex. They’ll take you maybe an hour and a half from start to finish, but much of that is baking time. They are perfect for a special occasion dinner. I don’t recommend freezing them either before or after cooking, but you can get them ready for baking a day ahead and bake them when you’re ready to serve them. Expect them to take a few minutes longer to bake right out of the refrigerator.
Seafood Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 1 12 oz. box jumbo pasta shells, cooked to al dente
- 6 T. butter, divided
- ½ lb. shrimp, peeled and chopped
- 3 T. flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 t. salt
- ½ t. pepper
- 1 lb. ricotta
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1 egg
- ½ t. garlic powder
- ¼ t. nutmeg
- 1 T. parsley flakes
- ½ lb. crabmeat
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs or ½ cup of panko
- chopped fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 7"x11" casserole dish.
- In a skillet over medium heat melt 4 T. of butter. Add the shrimp and cook just until shrimp is opaque. Using a slotted spoon or a spider, remove the shrimp and set aside. Whisk in the flour, and, whisking constantly, cook for a minute or two. Gradually add the milk, whisking until thick. Take off the heat and stir in ½ cup of parmesan and the salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, egg, nutmeg, garlic powder, and parsley flakes. Fold in the shrimp and crabmeat.
- Spread 1 cup of the sauce in the casserole dish. Fill shells with 2 T. of the cheese and seafood mixture, and arrange them in a single layer on top of the sauce. Spoon the remaining sauce over each stuffed shell. Sprinle the remaining parmesan over everything.
- Melt the remaining 2 T. of butter. Toss the breadcrumbs with the melted butter, and sprinkle over the shells. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown in spots.
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