Stuffed Shell Skillet
Pasta shells, tomato, and a ricotta stand-in stirred in at the end. The casserole, minus the oven.
- calories
- 760
- weight
- 6 oz
- cal / oz
- 127
- protein
- 26 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 14 min
- total time
- 16 min
- water
- 600 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Campfire coals
- Backpacking
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Small pasta shells | 3 oz | medium shells cook faster than jumbo and fit a pot |
|---|---|---|
| Tomato sauce powder | 3 tbsp | or a crushed handful of sun-dried tomatoes plus tomato paste from a tube |
| Italian herb blend | 1 tsp | oregano, basil, garlic powder |
| Whole milk powder | 2 tbsp | |
| Grated parmesan | 1 oz | the shelf-stable shaker kind, which is the point here |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | |
| Salt and black pepper | to taste |
Method
- Boil 600 ml of water. Add the shells and a pinch of salt.
- Simmer about 9 minutes, stirring so nothing welds to the bottom. Do not drain.
- Cut the heat when the shells are soft and most of the water is gone. A shallow puddle left is correct.
- Stir in the tomato powder and herbs. Let it sit a minute to thicken.
- Add the milk powder, half the parmesan, and the oil. Stir hard until it turns creamy.
- Top with the rest of the parmesan, pepper it, and eat from the pot.
Stuffed shells are a casserole: pasta, sauce, and a ricotta filling, baked under foil. None of that survives a pack. So the shells go in empty and the filling gets built in the pot at the end, out of milk powder, parmesan, and oil. It lands in the same place — creamy, tomato-heavy, cheese on top.
The part that matters is not draining. The starchy water left in the pot is what carries the tomato powder and milk powder into a sauce instead of a paste, and it means one pot and no strainer. Add the dairy off the heat. Milk powder held at a boil goes grainy and sticks.
Packing
Shells in one bag. Tomato powder, herbs, and milk powder premixed in a second small bag so you are opening two things, not five. Parmesan stays separate or it clumps into the powder.
Variations
- A foil packet of chicken stirred in at the end pushes protein past 40 g.
- Dried mushrooms tossed in with the pasta rehydrate in the same water.
- Red pepper flakes if the herb blend is dull.
https://domesticsuperhero.com/instant-pot-stuffed-shells-shortcut-recipe