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Beef Stuffed Shells

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These cheesy ground beef stuffed shells are packed with savory meat sauce, creamy ricotta, melty mozzarella, and bold Italian flavors. Baked until warm and bubbly, they make the perfect cozy comfort food for a weeknight dinner or special occasion.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 25 jumbo pasta shells
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil + more for tossing pasta
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 24 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce
  • 15 ounce container whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 8 ounces shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons basil pesto
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Kosher salt
  • fresh cracked pepper
  • fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Cook pasta for 2 minutes less than the package instructions recommend. This will allow them to finish cooking in the oven. Toss in olive oil and set aside.
  3. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for 4 minutes.
  4. Add garlic, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning, and cook for another minute, stirring frequently.
  5. Move veggies to the outside of the pan, creating a well. Add beef and a few pinches of salt and pepper to the middle of the pan and cook, crumbling with a spatula until browned and cooked through.
  6. Stir in spaghetti sauce along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Simmer over medium to medium-low heat for a couple minutes while you prep the stuffing for the shells.
  7. In a large bowl combine ricotta cheese, half the mozzarella, all the Parmesan cheese, pesto, beaten egg, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
  8. Pour about 1.5 cups of meat sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 white baking dish.
  9. Divide cheesy stuffing evenly between the shells, adding a heaping tablespoon or so to each shell. Place shells into the baking dish in a single layer, seam side up. Pour the remaining meat sauce over the stuffed shells.
  10. Top with the remaining mozzarella. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and cook for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly around the edges.
  11. Let sit for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!
  12. If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating and review below!

Equipment

Notes

    • Undercook the pasta slightly so it doesn’t get mushy when baked.

    • Use a piping bag or zip-top bag to fill the shells quickly and neatly.

    • For an extra kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://midwestfoodieblog.com/beef-stuffed-shells/