What Are Pasta shells and How Can I Use Them?

If pasta shells have turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use them with confidence and how to choose them, cook them, store them, what to substitute, and 76 recipes to try them in.

What are pasta shells?

Pasta shells, called conchiglie in Italian after the seashells they resemble, are short curved pieces of durum wheat pasta. The outer surface is ridged and the inside is a hollow, cupped pocket.

The small and medium sizes are the everyday workhorses. There is enough of a pocket to trap sauce, and they are small enough to eat by the spoonful.

That hollow shape is the whole point. The ridges grip thick sauces and the cup scoops up whatever small solids are in the dish, so each bite carries sauce and filling instead of leaving it pooled at the bottom of the bowl.

Where Small Shells Earn Their Keep

Small and medium shells are built for soup and salad and creamy bakes rather than stuffing. They hold their shape in liquid, which makes them a staple in minestrone like this Hearty Minestrone Soup, where the cups catch beans and diced vegetables.

Cold, they make a reliable pasta salad base. Tossed with a tuna-and-olive vinaigrette as in Pasta Nicoise, the ridges hang onto dressing instead of letting it slide off.

They also stand in for elbow macaroni in cheesy bakes, and they work well with seafood in a cream sauce like Scallops & Pasta with Fresh Tomato Cream Sauce.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Match the shell size to the sauce. Small shells want chunky or creamy sauces carrying small solids that can nest inside the cup. A thin oil dressing slides straight through and leaves them bland.

The usual mistake is overcooking. Shells cooked past al dente go slippery and the cups collapse, so they no longer hold anything. Pull them about a minute early when they are headed into soup or a bake, since they keep cooking in the hot liquid.

Substitutes

For soups and salads, elbow macaroni or cavatappi swap in cleanly, since both are small and curved enough to grab sauce. Orecchiette is the closest in spirit, because it is also a little dome that scoops.

Do not reach for jumbo stuffing shells here. Those are a different product, meant to be filled and baked one at a time rather than eaten by the forkful. See the general pasta guide for matching other shapes to sauces.

Buying and Storage

Dried shells keep for a year or more, sealed, in the cool dark of a pantry away from heat and humidity. Look for a slightly rough, matte surface; bronze-die pasta has more texture for sauce to cling to than slick, glossy shells.

Buy by size for the job. Small conchigliette go in soup, while medium shells suit salad and bakes.

Fresh or filled shells are refrigerated and perishable, so cook them by the date on the package.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find pasta shells: Pasta shells are usually found in the pasta section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Pasta shells are a member of the Cereal Grains and Pasta US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

意大利面壳

British (UK) term

Pasta shells

en français

coquillettes

en español

conchas de pasta

How much do pasta shells weigh?

Related

Cereal Grains and Pasta

Recipes using pasta shells

There are 76 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Pasta Shells with Salmon, Tomatoes & Toasted Bread Crumbs

This easy and simple recipe also came out delicious. Lemon juice added a touch of refreshing taste, and the overall flavour was well balanced. Giving this dish a five star.

Fresh California Tomato Summer Soup

Fresh California tomato summer soup with diced ripe tomatoes, pasta shells, carrots, celery, onion, and basil in chicken broth. A garden-driven minestrone built for peak tomato season. Topped with Parmesan.

Spinach Stuffed Shells

Cheesy, juicy, tasty and delicious. We used all ricotta cheese, put most of the mozzarella cheese into the filling ingredients, which we really enjoyed.

Marinated Pasta Salad

This delicious and refreshing pasta salad is easy to put together, and it's best served after being chilled, perfect on a hot summer day!

Stuffed Pasta Shells

This scrumptious dish has pasta shells stuffed with spinach and ricotta and mozzarella cheese.

Hearty Vegetarian Minestrone

A hearty vegetarian version of my favorite soup. It's easy to make it vegetarian by using roasted vegetable stock instead of beef stock. By adding a leftover parmesan rind (I save them in the freezer for this soup) it adds extra flavor. (optional)

Creamy Seafood Pasta Salad

A creamy and scrumptious pasta salad made with bell peppers, pasta shells and a delicious seafood mix.

Asparagus Chicken Pasta with Parmesan

This easy and delicious dish is an excellent candidate for a busy weeknight meal. It doesn't take long to make, and it's well balanced on both flavour and nutrition.

Skillet Macaroni & Cheese with Broccoli & Mushrooms

Cheesy and creamy mac 'n cheese with the added texture and flavor of mushrooms and broccoli, all in one skillet for easy cleanup. Using a skillet keeps it quicker than a slow baked version as well.

Mix & Match Casserole

An easy yet delicious recipe. I followed the recipe, and used whatever I had on hand. Then just mixed them up, and baked in the oven until the cheese was nicely browned. I let the casserole rest for about 10 minutes, then served it. Overall a great dish.

Fresh Tomato-Vegetable Soup

A very tasty and light soup, and also packed with goodness. It certainly helped me use up some of the garden-fresh tomatoes that tasted amazing, and it warmed me up instantly, an ideal soup for fall.

Feta Stuffed Pasta Shells

Pasta shells stuffed with crumbled feta, black olives, red pepper, and walnuts. A Mediterranean-style finger food appetizer ready in 15 minutes.

Minnestrone Soup

Hearty ground beef minestrone soup with kidney beans, carrots, green beans, lima beans, and pasta shells in a beefy tomato broth seasoned with Italian herbs.

Hunter's Minestrone

Hunter's minestrone with cubed beef, kidney beans, pasta shells, and red wine simmered for four hours in three stages. A hearty, meaty Italian soup built for cold weather.

Summer Pasta & Lentil Salad

Hearty summer pasta and lentil salad with green lentils, pasta shells, crunchy veggies, cherry tomatoes, and a garlicky Dijon vinaigrette. Topped with pine nuts for a protein-packed potluck favorite.

Pasta Nicoise

Pasta Nicoise salad with shell pasta, fresh tomatoes, steamed green beans, black olives, and capers tossed in a garlicky olive oil vinaigrette. Ready in 20 minutes.

Macaroni & Pea Salad

Cold macaroni and pea salad with sweet red peppers, dill pickles, and pimentos in a creamy mayo dressing. Classic potluck side dish that's better the next day.

Hearty Minestrone Soup

Hearty minestrone soup simmers Italian sausage with romano beans, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, and small pasta shells in a chicken broth base. Loaded one-pot Italian dinner soup.

Wedding Soup

Hearty Italian wedding soup simmered for hours with beef shanks, tiny meatballs, vegetables, tomatoes, and small pasta shells. Topped with grated Parmesan for a soul-warming bowl.

Fruit & Shells Salad

Fruit and pasta shell salad with fruit cocktail, banana, apple, and cinnamon whipped topping. A creamy, sweet side dish or potluck dessert served cold.

Mix n' Match Easy Pasta Salad

An easy pasta salad that uses the fresh veggies you have on hand and some Italian dressing so you can put it together quickly, we love quick and easy recipes.

Stuffed Shells with Fennel Sauce

Pasta shells stuffed with tofu, mozzarella, mushrooms, and red pepper, baked under a fresh fennel and tomato sauce. A lighter, plant-forward spin on stuffed shells.

Shrimp & Pasta Creole

Creole shrimp and crawfish pasta in a brandy cream sauce with orange zest, tarragon, and a splash of Louisiana chicory coffee. A rich, romantic dinner for two in 30 minutes.

Minestrone Pasta

Minestrone pasta salad with kidney beans, chickpeas, carrots, bell pepper, and Parmesan tossed in Italian dressing. Served warm or cold in 25 minutes.

Pasta Alla Checca Pasta with Steeped Tomato

Pasta alla checca, a Roman no-cook summer pasta sauce of ripe tomatoes, kalamata olives, capers, fresh basil, and garlic steeped in olive oil for hours. No stove needed for the sauce.

Pasta Salad with Chicken & Artichokes

Chicken and artichoke pasta salad with lemon-herb mayonnaise, toasted almonds, and a dash of hot sauce. A cold pasta salad thats great for potlucks and make-ahead lunches.

Mum's Lentil Soup

Hearty lentil soup with mushrooms, carrots, celery, and small pasta shells simmered low and slow. A one-pot family recipe that's filling, budget-friendly, and naturally vegan.

Tuna Lemon Pasta

Tuna lemon pasta, a light pantry dinner of shells and flaked tuna tossed in a bright lemon, wine, and broth sauce with scallions. A quick, fresh weeknight meal that skips the heavy cream.

Eggplant in Tomato-Wine Sauce

This is actually fairly easy to make, the only time consuming part was peeling the eggplant and chopping vegetables.

Favourite Shell Pasta with Beans & Tuna

Cold pasta shell salad with chunky tuna, red kidney beans, olives, red onion, and red wine vinaigrette finished with grated Asiago. Protein-packed make-ahead lunch or potluck side.

Smoked Sausage Italian Bean Soup

One-pot Italian bean soup loaded with sliced smoked sausage, crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, and small pasta shells in a savory broth. Warming, filling, and ready in 45 minutes.

Shells with Shrimp & Green Beans in Garlic Oil

Quick Italian pasta shells tossed with garlic-sauteed shrimp, fresh green beans, sun-dried tomatoes, and crushed red pepper in olive oil. A 25-minute weeknight dinner with big Mediterranean flavor.

Seafood & Shells

Tiny pasta shells tossed in a creamy Monterey Jack sauce with shrimp, minced clams, and a splash of dry sherry. A cozy, one-skillet seafood pasta ready in 45 minutes.

Tacos in Pasta Shells

Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with creamy chili-seasoned ground beef, baked in taco sauce under a blanket of melted cheddar, Monterey Jack, and crushed tortilla chips. Taco night meets stuffed shells.

Pesto Pasta & Vegetables

Pesto pasta shells with sauteed leeks, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, and chopped hard-boiled eggs topped with Parmesan. A quick vegetarian pasta dinner.

Shrimp Pasta Salad

Cold shrimp pasta salad with wine-poached shrimp, fresh basil, sweet peas, and bell pepper in a Dijon-garlic vinaigrette made from the shrimp poaching broth. A no-mayo pasta salad packed with fresh flavor.

Pasta & Walnut Fruit Salad

Pasta fruit salad with walnuts, mandarin oranges, grapes, and apple tossed in a creamy orange yogurt dressing. A refreshing cold side dish for potlucks and summer cookouts.

Market Pasta Salad

Market pasta salad with shell pasta, broccoli, zucchini, red pepper, and cheddar in a Dijon-lemon dressing with Worcestershire and Parmesan. A colorful vegetarian side.

Rose & Poppy Seed Pasta

Rose and poppy seed pasta with shell pasta, sweated onion rings, garlic, and fresh rose petals tossed in just before serving. A vegan floral pasta dish that's simple and elegant.

Mom's Most Loved Minestrone

Mom's minestrone soup with crushed tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, kidney beans, carrots, and small pasta shells in a savory chicken broth. A vegetable-packed Italian classic ready in under 30 minutes.

Beef a Roni

Homemade Beef a Roni with ground beef, pasta shells, mushrooms, and corn in a rich tomato sauce. A filling weeknight dinner the whole family will devour in 45 minutes.

Corn & Red Lentil Soup

Hearty red lentil soup with sweet corn, zucchini, sundried tomatoes, and pasta, finished with a miso-tamari swirl for deep umami. Vegan, filling, and ready in under an hour.

Chile Tuna Sea Shells

A cold tuna pasta salad with green chiles, horseradish mayo, green olives, and avocado tossed in shell pasta. Let it sit 2 hours for the flavors to meld.

Turkey Stuffed Shells

Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with seasoned ground turkey, carrot, and Parmesan in a red wine tomato sauce, baked until bubbly. A lighter Italian-style stuffed shell that's packed with flavor in every bite.

Shrimp-Pesto Salad

Chilled pasta shells layered with basil pesto, spinach, Roma tomatoes, black olives, and shrimp. This make-ahead Italian pasta salad is a crowd-pleasing potluck star that only gets better as it sits.

Curried Leftover Turkey & Pasta Salad

Curried turkey pasta salad tosses leftover turkey with whole wheat shells, mango chutney, toasted almonds, and a yogurt-mayo dressing bloomed in warm curry powder. A bright, crunchy use for Thanksgiving leftovers.

Baked Spinach Casserole

Vegan spinach pasta casserole with shell pasta, tomato sauce, soy milk, garlic, and basil baked under breadcrumbs until bubbly. Dairy-free comfort food.

Christmas Cassoulet

Looking for something quick to feed the family? Try this dish which is sure to make everyone full after a couple servings!

Eggplant & Pasta in Tomato-Wine Sauce

Eggplant and pasta shells in a tomato-wine sauce with mushrooms, green pepper, red onion, and oregano. An oil-free vegetarian pasta sauteed in water and vinegar.

Chicken & Zucchini Soup

Chicken and zucchini soup built from scratch: a whole chicken simmered with parsnip, turnip, and lemon, then enriched with browned Italian sausage, pasta shells, and grated zucchini stirred in at the end.

All 76 recipes