Bring Luxury To Stuffed Shell Pasta By Ditching The Cheese Filling For Seafood

Anything you look for in comfort food, you will likely find it in stuffed shell pasta. Jumbo conchiglie cradling a melty cheese filling, all blanketed by the oven's hearty warmth and a lusciously rich sauce — what could be better? As it turns out, the answer is creamy seafood-stuffed shells. Take a temporary step away from the usual melted cheese and toward your favorite seafood, and who knows, your weeknight dinner rotation might just get another showstopper.

Our recipe developer took inspiration from the Maryland coast for this seafood twist. That means mixing crab meat and cooked shrimp with cream cheese, lemon juice, fresh herbs, and Old Bay seasoning for the filling. The remaining steps remain the same, with a simmer of a cream-based tomato sauce (or just use store-bought vodka sauces for a shortcut) and 20 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tastewise, the dish carries more than just the tomato sauce, scrumptious as it may be. Lurking underneath that familiar tangy richness is the crab's briny sweetness and the shrimp's fresh taste. Not only that, they're wrapped in the cream cheese's own creamy waves, punctuated by zesty, herby, and garlicky nuances. The textures are another revelation. Those soft and succulent pieces of seafood only add to the dish's overall lusciousness, with a slight chewiness that brings yet another unexpected dimension.

Seafood comes with a sea of options. When crab and shrimp get too repetitive, throw in other shellfish like lobster, scallops, mussels, or abalone. Maybe even borrow inspiration from different stuffed dishes, like pairing clams with bacon, breadcrumbs, and bell peppers for a pasta take on the classic clam casinos. Or since you've already got a tomato sauce and seafood, try a frutti di mare twist. The list of fish varieties you can use also stretches endlessly. There's a salty edge in tuna that will satisfy those who look for more intensity. A mild, almost umami sweetness can easily be found in salmon, which also works phenomenally with cream cheese. For that classic fish taste, with a subtle briny undertone and delectable freshness, cod fish sure fits the bill.

If tomato feels too jarring against the seafood's sweet undertone, try a white sauce for a change. Never doubt the power of a super-smooth béchamel sauce, especially not when it's laced with Old Bay or Cajun seasoning. Alternatively, for that same buttery, garlicky goodness that often graces pasta dishes, whip up a batch of easy Alfredo sauce. Should you still want some cheese in the dish, a cheese sauce makes perfect sense.

As for toppings, you can take your dish to a restaurant-worthy level with caviar or fish roe scattered atop the shell pasta. The same goes for smoked fish, which can be salmon, trout, or any of your favorite variety. Don't neglect seafood's other frequent companions, either. Tomatoes, chopped asparagus, spinach, and broccoli are all gorgeous ways to finish up this recipe for seafood-stuffed pasta shells.