Stuffed Shells with Meat and Cheese (classic baked Italian-style pasta). Here’s the full recipe:
🧀🍝 Cheesy Meat Stuffed Shells
🛒 Ingredients
Pasta
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1 box (12 oz) jumbo pasta shells
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Salt (for boiling water)
Meat Sauce
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1 lb (450g) ground beef (or Italian sausage)
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1 small onion, diced
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce (or 3 cups homemade)
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1 tsp Italian seasoning
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Salt & pepper to taste
Cheese Filling
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15 oz (425g) ricotta cheese
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1 cup shredded mozzarella
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½ cup grated Parmesan
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1 egg
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2 tbsp fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
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Salt & pepper to taste
Topping
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1½ cups shredded mozzarella
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¼ cup grated Parmesan
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Cook the Shells
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Boil salted water.
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Cook shells 2 minutes less than package directions (they’ll finish baking in the oven).
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Drain and lay out on foil so they don’t stick together.
2️⃣ Make the Meat Sauce
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Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat.
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Add onion and cook until soft.
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Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds.
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Drain excess grease.
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Add marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper.
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Simmer 5–10 minutes.
3️⃣ Make the Cheese Filling
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In a bowl, mix ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, parsley, salt & pepper.
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Stir in about ½ cup of the meat sauce (optional, but adds flavor).
4️⃣ Assemble
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Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
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Spread 1 cup meat sauce in bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
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Fill each shell with cheese mixture (about 1–2 tbsp each).
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Place stuffed shells in dish.
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Spoon remaining meat sauce over top.
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Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan.
5️⃣ Bake
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Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes.
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Remove foil and bake another 10–15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.
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Let rest 5–10 minutes before serving.
❄️ Make Ahead & Freezer Tips
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Assemble and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking.
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Freeze unbaked shells up to 3 months.
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Bake from frozen at 375°F for 45–55 minutes (covered).
If you’d like, I can also give you:
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A spinach & ricotta version 🌿
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A chicken Alfredo stuffed shells version
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Or an easy shortcut version using store-bought ingredients only
Just tell me 😊