Seafood Stuffed Shells

Seafood stuffed shells are filled with a rich mixture of crab, shrimp, and creamy cheeses, then baked under a luscious sauce until golden and bubbly. Elegant yet comforting, this dish is perfect for a holiday dinner, a special occasion, or simply when you want to impress at the dinner table. With its blend of seafood and cheese wrapped in tender pasta, it’s a decadent twist on classic stuffed shells.

Love More Seafood Stuffed ShellsRecipes? Try My Luxurious Seafood Gratin or this Creamy Garlic Shrimp Over Mashed Potatoes next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Rich, cheesy, and packed with seafood flavor, these stuffed shells are an impressive yet approachable dish that feels indulgent without being costly. They’re easy enough to prepare in under an hour, making them a great choice for date nights, family dinners, or when you want to wow guests without spending all day in the kitchen. Pair them with breadsticks, a crisp salad, and a decadent dessert for a complete meal everyone will remember.

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Ingredient List

Pasta & Seafood

• 6 oz dry jumbo pasta shells (~25 shells)
• 8 oz peeled & deveined shrimp
• 1 lb lump crabmeat, checked for shells
• 8 oz dry-packed sea scallops, cut into small pieces

Flavorings

• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• Dash of Old Bay seasoning
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• Small handful flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Kosher salt

Sauce & Topping

• Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling and greasing dish)
• 3½ tbsp unsalted butter (divided)
• 1½ tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups milk
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Why These Ingredients Work

The three different seafoods mean you get different textures and flavors in each bite instead of just one boring taste. Crab is sweet, shrimp is chewy, scallops are soft. The mustard cuts through all that richness so it’s not like eating a stick of butter.

Mayo keeps everything from drying out in the oven. I know it sounds gross but it works. The white sauce is just basic cooking – melt butter, add flour, pour in milk. Way better than buying some jar of processed crap from the store.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Big pot for pasta
• Medium pot for sauce
• 9×13 baking dish
• Whisk
• Big bowl for mixing
• Small spoon for stuffing

That’s it. Nothing fancy. If you can boil water you can make this.

How To Make Seafood Stuffed Shells

Step 1: Preheat & Prep Pasta

Crank your oven to 325. Cook the shells in salted water but pull them out early – like 3 minutes before the box says. They’re going back in the oven so you don’t want them mushy.

Dump them in cold water right away so they stop cooking. Toss with some oil or they’ll stick together and you’ll be prying them apart with a fork.

Step 2: Make Your Béchamel

Melt some butter in a pan. Don’t burn it or it tastes weird. Dump in the flour and stir it around for a minute until it stops smelling like flour.

Pour the milk in slowly while you whisk. If you dump it all at once you get lumps and lumpy sauce sucks. Let it bubble for a few minutes until it’s thick enough to coat your spoon. Salt, pepper, done.

Step 3: Prepare the Star Filling

Mix your seafood with the mustard, mayo, Old Bay, shallot, and parsley. Go through that crab meat and pick out any shells because there’s always at least one and biting into a shell ruins everything.

Should stick together but not be paste-like. Taste it and add salt and pepper. Don’t be shy with the seasoning.

Step 4: Assembly Time

Grease your pan and put some of that white sauce on the bottom so nothing sticks. Stuff each shell with as much filling as you can fit. I use a small spoon but your hands work too if they’re clean.

Line them up in the pan and pour the rest of the sauce over everything. Make sure it gets in all the gaps.

Step 5: Add That Crunchy Golden Topping

Melt the rest of your butter and mix it with the breadcrumbs. Add some salt because everything needs salt. Sprinkle it over the shells. This is what makes it look fancy.

Step 6: Bake & Finish to Perfection

Stick it in the oven for 25 minutes until everything’s hot and bubbling. Want it browner? Turn on the broiler for a couple minutes but don’t leave the kitchen or you’ll burn it.

Let it sit for 5 minutes before you eat it or you’ll burn your tongue.

You Must Know

Don’t overcook those shells. Better slightly underdone than falling apart when you try to stuff them.

Personal Secret: Buy your seafood fresh if you can, same day you’re cooking. Frozen is fine but thaw it all the way and pat it dry. Wet seafood makes everything watery and gross.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Let the seafood sit out for 20 minutes before mixing so it’s not ice cold going into the oven. Pack that filling tight into the shells – more filling is better.

If your white sauce gets thick, add more milk. If it gets lumpy, just start over. Takes 5 minutes and lumpy sauce tastes like cafeteria food.

Taste your filling before you stuff the shells. Need more salt? More pepper? Fix it now because you can’t fix it later.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Want it spicy? Add hot sauce to the filling. Like herbs? Use dill instead of parsley. Want it cheesier? Mix parmesan into the white sauce. Got wine? Replace some of the milk with white wine.

Make-Ahead Options

Best part about this dish – you can make it ahead. Stuff everything and assemble it the day before. Cover it and stick it in the fridge. Just add 10 minutes to the cooking time.

You can make just the filling 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Cook the shells and oil them up to a day ahead too.

Want to freeze it? Make the whole thing, wrap it up tight, freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight before baking.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

This feeds 6-8 people unless you’re feeding teenage boys, then maybe make two. If your white sauce breaks and gets chunky, don’t try to save it. Just make a new batch – takes 5 minutes.

Some shells will break when you cook them. Don’t stress about it. Broken shells still taste good, they just look less pretty. Stuff them anyway.

Serving Suggestions

I usually make Caesar salad because it’s easy and goes with everything. Garlic bread is good too. For vegetables, just roast some asparagus or green beans – nothing complicated.

Drink wise, any white wine works. Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, whatever’s on sale. Don’t overthink it.

Eat it hot when the topping is still crunchy. It reheats okay but it’s never as good as fresh.

This is my go-to recipe when I need to impress people without actually working that hard. Been making it for years and it never fails.

How to Store Your Seafood Stuffed Shells

Keep leftovers in the fridge for 3 days covered. The topping gets soggy but it still tastes good. You can freeze individual portions wrapped in plastic for up to 3 months.

Reheat covered at 350 for 20 minutes until hot. From frozen add another 10 minutes.

Allergy Information

Has shellfish, dairy, eggs, gluten. Basically everything that causes allergies. If you’re dairy free, use plant milk and vegan butter. Gluten free? Use gluten free pasta and rice flour instead of regular flour.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use frozen seafood?

Yeah, just thaw it completely and dry it off good. Wet seafood makes everything watery.

Can I skip making the white sauce?

You could buy jarred alfredo but it tastes like chemicals. The homemade stuff is way better and takes 5 minutes.

How do I know it’s done?

When it’s hot all the way through and bubbling around the edges.

Can I add vegetables?

Sure. Spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers. Don’t go crazy though.

Why is my filling watery?

Your seafood was too wet. Pat it dry next time.

💬 Made this recipe? Tell me what you thought in the comments below!