The whole family will love these Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce! Jumbo pasta shells are loaded with a cheesy ricotta mixture, nestled into a hearty meat sauce, and topped with golden brown mozzarella cheese.
This hearty pasta dish is sure to become a family favorite!
A simple but flavorful meat sauce gently simmers while jumbo pasta shells boil and then get stuffed with a creamy ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan mixture, then the whole thing is finished off with more stringy mozzarella cheese before being baked to golden brown perfection. Yum!
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Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Jumbo Shells - Shell-shaped pasta perfect for stuffing with a cheesy mixture.
Crushed Tomatoes - The base of the sauce. Look for ones that include basil for more flavor.
Ground Beef - The meat in the sauce. You could also use ground pork, sausage, or a mixture.
Ricotta - Adds creaminess to the filling.
Mozzarella - A stringy cheese used in both the filling and on top. I highly recommend grating the mozzarella yourself for the best stringiness and flavor.
Parmesan - Adds more flavor to the filling. Just like the mozzarella, I suggest freshly grating the parmesan.
Parsley - Adds freshness and color to the filling. I also like to sprinkle more on the top after baking to add more color and freshness.
Step By Step Instructions
Note: Full list of ingredients, their amounts, and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1:
Heat oil over medium heat in a large oven-safe casserole dish or skillet.
Step 2:
Add the diced onion and sauté, stirring often, until translucent about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
Step 3:
Add the ground beef to the pan and sauté until cooked through about 8 minutes. Drain.
Step 4:
Mix the salt, pepper, and dried oregano into the ground beef. Then, stir in the crushed tomatoes. Reduce the heat to low to gently simmer.
Step 5:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
Step 6:
Boil the pasta for 1 minute less than the package direction call for. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Step 7:
While the pasta is boiling, mix together the ricotta cheese, half of the mozzarella, parmesan, parsley, an egg, and salt.
Step 8:
Remove the sauce from the heat.
Using either a spoon or a small cookie scooper, evenly divide the ricotta mixture between the shells. After each one is filled, place it in the sauce.
Step 9:
Sprinkle the top with the remaining mozzarella. Bake for 25 minutes then broil for about 2 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
Step 10:
Allow the pasta to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with extra parsley for freshness and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- Pull the beef from the oven 30 minutes before cooking. This makes the meat easier to cook and it breaks down into more even pieces.
- If you don't have a casserole dish to make the sauce in, use a skillet to cook the sauce. Then, transfer the sauce to a 9x13 baking dish before adding the stuffed shells.
- The shells need to be nestled together fairly tightly to all fit. I have found the best way to do this is to push some of the sauce aside with a fork and place the shell in that spot. You can also move the shells around a bit after they've been placed.
Storage & Reheating
Store the stuffed shells in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat in a 300 degree F oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until warmed through.
Or, reheat in a microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed through.
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📖 Recipe
Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 teaspoons salt fine kosher or sea
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes ideally with basil
Shells & Filling
- 24 jumbo pasta shells
- 15 ounces ricotta
- 16 ounces freshly shredded mozzarella divided
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt fine kosher or sea
Instructions
- In a large oven-safe casserole dish or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Sauté the onions until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another 30 seconds.
- Add the ground beef and sauté until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain.
- Stir the salt, oregano, and black pepper into the ground beef. Add the crushed tomatoes and reduce the heat to low to gently simmer. Stir occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
- Add the shells to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute less than the package directions call for. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- While the pasta is boiling, mix together ricotta, half of the shredded mozzarella, parmesan, egg, parsley, and salt.
- Remove the sauce from the heat. With a spoon or small cookie scooper, evenly divide the ricotta mixture into the cooked pasta shells. Nestle the stuffed shells into the meat sauce as you go.
- Top the stuffed shells with the other half of the mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 25 minutes then broil under high heat for about 2 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
- Allow the pasta to cool for about 10 minutes then sprinkle with extra fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
- If possible, pull the beef from the oven 30 minutes before cooking. This makes the meat easier to cook and it breaks down into more even pieces.
- If you don't have a casserole dish to make the sauce in, use a skillet to cook the sauce. Then, transfer the sauce to a 9x13 baking dish before adding the stuffed shells.
- The shells need to be nestled together fairly tightly to all fit. I have found the best way to do this is to push some of the sauce aside with a fork and place the shell in that spot. You can also move the shells around a bit after they've been placed.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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