Description
These Stuffed Shells with Ground Beef are a classic Italian-American comfort food dish that’s perfect for a satisfying meal. Jumbo pasta shells are filled with a creamy ricotta cheese mixture and baked in a flavorful meat sauce, then topped with melted mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 24 jumbo pasta shells (about 8 oz)
- 1/2 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1/2 lb ground beef chuck
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Cheese Filling:
- 15 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat and Cook Pasta: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the jumbo shells. Cook the shells just until they’re al dente, making sure not to overcook them. Drain the shells in a colander and then rinse briefly with cool water. Set aside.
- Brown Beef and Sauté Vegetables: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the cooking oil. Brown the ground beef chuck. Drain any excess fat. Once the beef has browned, add the diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent, and the garlic is fragrant.
- Make Sauce: Next, add the marinara sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper to the skillet. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the beef sauce to simmer for 3-5 minutes.
- Make Cheese Filling: While the sauce is simmering, make the cheese filling. In a medium bowl, add the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan, fresh chopped parsley, salt, black pepper, and egg. Stir all of the ingredients together well.
- Assemble: Take half of the beef sauce mixture and layer it at the bottom of a large 9×13-inch casserole dish. Now, one by one, stuff each shell with 1-2 tablespoons of the cheese filling. Place the shells in the casserole dish as you stuff them.
- Bake: Once the shells are all stuffed, add the remaining beef sauce over the top. Then sprinkle 1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top. Loosely place some tented aluminum foil over the casserole dish and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, remove the foil and bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling up around the edges. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
- Pasta: Be careful not to overcook the pasta shells, as they will continue to cook in the oven.
- Cheese Filling: You can use a variety of different cheeses for the filling, such as ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and asiago.
- Make Ahead: You can assemble the stuffed shells ahead of time and bake them later. Simply cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 stuffed shells
- Calories: 600kcal
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 1200mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 100mg
