Last Updated on July 7, 2023
Italian food is popular in my family. Specifically, we like pasta. When my brother and sister-in law hosted our extended family during the holidays, they set out a pasta bar in their kitchen for dinner one night with multiple pots of noodles and a tray of meatballs on the stove, several slow cookers filled with red and white sauces with meaty and meat-free options, and plenty of garlic bread. It was the ultimate in comfort food, and there was something to make everyone happy, an important consideration when you’re feeding a crowd.
Whether it’s spaghetti with marinara sauce and meatballs, or fettucine with alfredo sauce, we like it all. Lasagna is also a favorite in my household, and so are lasagna rolls.
While I don’t mind assembling pasta dishes from various components — a box of pasta, a jar of sauce, a container of ricotta cheese or a bag or block of mozzarella, etc. — sometimes it’s helpful to have simple options on days when I’m busier. I’m talking about stuff I can pull out of the freezer, drop in a dish, pour sauce over, and bake while I do other things around the house. Aldi sells some lasagna rolls that fit the bill.
Then, during a recent Aldi run, my kids discovered some stuffed shells in the freezer aisle. These are a seasonal item that’s only around for a few months but not year round. Aldi stocks seasonal items for longer than Aldi Finds, but they don’t keep them all year, so if you like these, stock up. In this case, Aldi appears to stock these stuffed shells during the winter. Aldi does not offer online ordering for products that are not currently in stock at your local store.
Priano Stuffed Shells cost $4.49 for a 20-ounce package at the time of publication. The package describes these as “hand-filled shells with a creamy blend of ricotta, Romano and parmesan cheeses with Italian seasonings.” These are sold frozen.
These are sold under the Priano label, which is not a company. Instead, Priano is the private label Aldi uses for certain Italian or Italian-inspired foods. Other Priano products we’ve tried from Aldi include puff pastry, pasta bakes, and veggie lasagna.
Ingredients for the stuffed shells include ricotta cheese, water, enriched semolina flour, wheat flour, pasteurized eggs, corn starch, Romano cheese, salt, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, spices, parsley, and turmeric (for color). It would be helpful if Aldi indicated what “spices” are used.
If you’re looking out for allergens, these contain wheat, milk, and eggs.
One package contains four 2-piece servings. One serving (without sauce added) has 220 calories, 3 grams of total fat (4% DV), 1.5 grams of saturated fat (8% DV), 330 mg of sodium (14% DV), no added sugars, and 11 grams of protein.
Nutrition and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)
The bag has directions for heating these in a conventional oven or in the microwave.
To heat in the oven, cover the bottom of a baking dish with your favorite sauce. Place stuffed shells half an inch apart and cover generously with sauce. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. If shells are still frozen, bake in a 375-degree oven for 45 minutes. If shells are thawed, bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Cook until the internal minimum temperature is 165 degrees.
To microwave, cover the bottom of a microwave-safe dish with your favorite sauce. Place frozen stuffed shells in the dish. Cover generously with sauce. Cover the dish with a microwave-safe lid or wrap. Microwave on high for 7-8 minutes until a minimum internal temperature of 165 is reached. Uncover the dish carefully and let it stand for 2 minutes, then serve.
Two stuffed shells with sauce, ready to serve.
I chose to bake these shells in my oven, and they were still frozen. Mine were thoroughly heated after about 50 minutes. I let them sit on the stovetop a few minutes to cool before serving. I used approximately one jar of Aldi organic marinara sauce, which ended up being a pretty generous amount of sauce, but I wanted to make sure the shells were covered so they wouldn’t dry out during heating.
Cutting into one stuffed shell.
These shells were a hit in my house. They’re similar to the Aldi lasagna rolls I’ve previously served, with a practically identical cheese filling. The only difference is in the style of noodles, with these featuring oversized shells rather than lasagna noodles. They have a good amount of flavorful cheese filling and the noodle texture was a perfect al dente.
For review purposes, I served these only with marinara sauce as the directions indicate, but they’d also be good topped with some shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, or garnished with fresh parsley after heating.
If you want a dinner that tastes good and looks fancy, this is a good option from the Aldi freezer aisle. Serve these stuffed shells alongside some fantastic Aldi garlic knots and a nice garden salad for a complete meal.
The Verdict:
Priano Stuffed Shells are sold frozen and feature ricotta, Romano, and parmesan cheeses inside oversized pasta shells. Add sauce of your choice — marinara, alfredo, or whatever you like — then heat in the oven or microwave for an easy Italian restaurant-quality meal. Recommended.
Do you think these pasta shells could be cooked in boiling water like other brands of frozen pasta? My preference would be to serve them with olive oil, garlic and salt rather than a sauce.
You might risk the cheese stuffing coming out and/or getting watery and mushy if you boil these. You’re probably better off boiling plain large shells and adding your own cheese filling, then topping with olive oil and seasonings.
Thanks for the prompt advice. You would certainly know more than I since cooking has never been one of my talents, especially now that I’m 79. I happen to have a jar of Jovial Organic Diced Tomatoes and I might try making a sauce.